Reality
by NKC
Summary: Graeme is a student-programmer, messing around with the most advanced code he's ever created. But when things don't go quite to plan, a link between two worlds is established, and that brings a whole host of other issues with it. PataGato, Takari, OC/OC.
1. Chapter I

They say everybody has a book inside them. And it's my firm belief that anybody can be a great writer if they try. So, here is my try at an epic. It's PataGato, and it's going to be very long.

I'd like to take the time to dedicate it to every single author on Fanfiction who has ever written a story that I've enjoyed. You people are my inspiration. Keep on writing. The world needs more art.

Now, this story is going to be a long one. My best guess is close to 50,000 words by the time I'm done. So, it will be a work in progress. I'm not perfect. There will be errors in both spelling and grammar, and maybe one or two plot holes. If you find any, please point them out. I'd appreciate it greatly. I'm also not going to stick to a posting deadline, because I want this to flow naturally. Throughout, you'll meet a host of old characters whom we all know and love, as well as a couple of my own design.

All that being said, please read and review.

Thank you,

NKC

* * *

**Chapter I**

The Patarosian fleet loomed menacingly over the planet, like a plague of locusts poised to overwhelm the bright orb the instant the order was received.

From the world below, a swarm of tiny fighter-craft emerged, shields fully energised and weapons armed, bristling for a fight. They came to a standoff several kilometres short of the awaiting fleet, joining a rag-tag defensive taskforce of a few dozen small and antiquated vessels – a few dozen light carriers and a meagre collection of escort vessels at best.

Although they held the numerical advantage, the mere handful of enemy battleships – and the single massive battlement of the base-ship – held the upper hand. The technological prowess of these great titans was unsurpassed in all the known galaxy.

Without either warning or mercy, the Patarosian battleships – all four of them – advanced and opened fire on the defensive forces of Telume Prime. Much to the horror of every Telumite present, the Incinerator Beams of the far larger vessels sliced through the deflector shields of the light cruisers as if they weren't even there, shorting out the emitters in a single overwhelming display of strength and power. As the first salvo waned – death and destruction in its wake – not a single capitol ship of the Telumite fleet remained intact.

There was a pause of uncertainty amongst the fighter squadrons as they surveyed the devastation in the space around them. But it didn't last long. In ten waves of fifteen thousand each, the defenders swam the void, closing in around the battleships before their weapons had the time to cycle.

At last in range of the enemy, the small craft opened fire, narrow purple beams of Messon energy flaring off shields of unfathomable strength. Alone, no single fighter craft posed any more danger to the much larger vessels than a lone mosquito would to an elephant. But, combined, their strength was soon taking effect. Shield bubbles warped as they strained against the force brought against 

them. Soon, the grand battleships were forced to fall back, attempting to evade the incoming fire before they could sustain major damage.

Unwilling to let their quarry escape, the small craft gave chase.

Their error in judgement was soon painfully clear, as they found themselves tightly compacted into a small volume of space, and well within range of the base-ship's massive primary weapon – the wave-motion gun.

Before the large cloud of tiny vessels could organise and disperse, falling back to a safe distance, there was an almost blinding flash of energy from the near-side of the base-ship. A huge bank of compressed energy formed. In a few seconds which seemed almost to stretch to infinity, the giant wave was loosed into space. In mere moments it was upon the tightly bound fighters, sweeping through them without mercy. Eventually, it impacted upon the planet below, dissipating harmlessly into the atmosphere.

But none of the defenders remained alive to see it.

The base-ship started without remorse toward the green-blue orb before it, all defences swept so easily aside. With vast weapons of energy, churning out more power than the primary of this system, the malevolent titan brought death and destruction to the defenceless world below.

"Patamon, you're ruthless!"

The small orange and cream creature chuckled lightly, bemused, clicking the computer mouse to confirm the action before responding, "You've got to be ruthless if you want to rule the galaxy, TK."

Patamon's close human friend, who had up until that point been tidying his room, only pausing on occasion to see what the little Digimon was up to, finally took the time for a full and proper glance at the monitor. As it turned out, the winged rookie was building a space empire. And proving to be quite good at it too.

To his amusement, he could see that Patamon's empire – the Patarosian Collective, highlighted in orange – dominated well over half of the galactic map.

"You're getting really good at that." He complimented, looking on as Patamon spread his reign of terror to yet another star system.

"That's because I've been getting plenty of practice whilst you're out at college." Patamon stated, not turning his attention away from the task at hand. Another world's defences were swept aside, making way for his empire.

"Speaking of which," TK interjected, "Don't you think it's time to take a break? You've been on there all morning."

Patamon took a moment to look at the clock, then nodded, "Sure TK. Just let me do this one thing." He requested, all the while lining his units up for a final invasion.

The boy chuckled, "Alright. But be careful. We wouldn't want you to get sucked into the computer." He said jokingly.

Patamon turned around to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

"OK, OK." TK raised his hands in mock surrender, "I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready."

Patamon heard the familiar click of the door swinging shut as he completed his final task, then saved the game for another time. Whilst the computer worked its magic, he turned his attention to the nearby window, only now noticing what a beautiful day it was outside. Warm, sunny, and a mere handful of high-flying white clouds.

Going outside definitely seemed like a good idea.

* * *

Graeme Hebdon wasn't your typical computer geek. No. He was a computer geek on a mission!

Having just minutes ago finally been released from his last lecture of the week – as always, mind-numbing and tedious – he was now running as quickly as his legs would carry him back towards his halls of residence.

Having spent much of the last week working on projects and deadlines for his coursework, the weekend offered a much needed respite, as well as the opportunity to work on a few pet projects of his own design. At least these wouldn't bore him half to death.

It was fair to say that the realities of university life hadn't borne the results that he'd expected when he'd accepted the position. True, he learned a few new techniques. But he'd gained far more learning from his fellow students than anything the course had to offer. In all, it had proven both frustrating, and a total disappointment.

They were covering too much old ground, as far as he was concerned.

Still, that meant the work assignments which he so lamented proved to be of little difficulty, so he had plenty of time to do his own thing.

If only he could get out of the lectures so easily.

Swiping his entry card, he barged into the block in which he lived, scaling the stairs to the first floor with practiced ease and bursting into his room with vim and vigour. In one fluid motion, he'd dropped his coat, backpack and books onto the bed and swung into his computer chair.

Taking a moment to catch his breath (sometimes he needed to remind himself to breathe), he surveyed the mess that was his desk. Papers, books and lecture noted cluttered its surface, along with the monitor, mouse and keyboard.

Ignoring it all, he leaned over it, opening the window and letting some air into the room. The warm breeze wafted into the room, blowing some of the clutter onto the floor.

"Problem solved," He said to no-one in particular, making note to pick it up later.

Leaning down to the side, he reached for the power button on the front of the computer – his pride and joy. It started with a whirr and a buzz, instantly springing to life. In a matter of minutes, he was logged on and fully immersed in some programming code of his own design.

This was how Grae spent his time – and a little money too – knocking together little projects for all kinds of different purposes. It funded his studies, not to mention gained him some extra credit and practical experience.

But this particular project, one which he'd been working on for the past couple of years, marked the culmination of so many late, sleepless nights parked at his computer screen. This was, without a shadow of a doubt, the single largest project he'd ever taken on. And, if his luck held, the most gratifying of them all as well.

"Save..." He mumbled to himself, as he often did when his mind was elsewhere, "Upload to server..."

The resounding ding of the task complete alert ushered butterflies to his stomach, and he almost found himself too nervous to move. But years of anticipation in wait for the finished product swiftly brushed that particular emotion aside, and this time he found he had to try and contain himself as he clicked the execute button.

The mechanical whirr of the cooling fan inside his computer pitched upwards a note or two, in preparation for the work it was about to commence. The wait for the emulation window to pop up, though only a few seconds in actuality, seemed to stretch on forever as his excitement welled.

For a moment, the screen went blank.

_This is normal..._ Graeme had to remind himself, _it's supposed to do this._

Then, "Welcome to Digimon Online!" His speakers declared in an all too familiar voice. A smirk crossed his lips, self-satisfaction clearly evident. It was working!

"I am your Interactive D-Terminal, here to assist you along your journey through the world of Digimon!" the program continued enthusiastically, "I see that you're new to our site. Please, click here to begin."

He followed the instructions perfectly without even pausing to read them. After all, he had written them. He soon found himself on the page that he wanted; the one which marked the whole point of the program, the intent he'd set out with in the first place.

"Welcome to the adoption centre. Please follow the instructions to select the Digimon of your preference. Before proceeding, please note that the choice you make is final. Once you've selected a Digimon it is yours for the duration of your time here."

In all honesty, he understood the ramifications perfectly well. Graeme had created this Digimon simulation for the sole purpose of treating it as if it were a real pet. He'd wanted it to be realistic, a game of almost endless variation, and one where you held the responsibility to care and tend to the needs of your Digimon. As such, he'd included what he considered to be some sophisticated AI, which would manifest itself in both the gaming environment, and the Digimon themselves, in the 

hope that they could learn from each interaction with their partner and develop into a unique virtual creature.

And there was no doubt in his mind as to which Digimon he wanted as his own. It had, after all, been his favourite. From the very beginning of the Digimon franchise, through to the present day, it remained his number one.

Without hesitation, he made his selection.

"You have chosen... Patamon!"

* * *

"Patamon, are you coming or not?" TK called through from the kitchen, rapping his fingers against the worktop with impatience. Patamon's 'one thing' seemed to be stretching out into many 'things.'

"It's just saving!" Patamon swung himself around on the swivel chair, keeping an eye on the progress of the save all the while. He was as eager to go out now as TK was, but he just _had _to make sure his game was saved.

"Ding! Error." The computer declared in detached fanfare.

"What?!" Patamon shrieked. He couldn't believe it! He reached for the mouse, frantically trying to click on the save button again, hoping all his progress that morning hadn't been lost, "Save... Save!"

"Ding! Error." The computer retorted.

"No!" Patamon slammed his hands down on the desktop, shaking it so vigorously that a nearby picture fell over, hitting the floor with a thud. Deciding it had had enough, the computer took the opportunity to go blank.

Patamon sweat-dropped, "Just my luck..."

He pushed back off the desk forcefully, twirling around to face the door. Not much he could do about it now. He'd just have to make up on lost ground another time. Besides, now he could go outside with TK!

A smile crept across his face as the little orange Digimon leapt into the air, a hard flap or two getting him airborne. The rest was easy.

"Ding! Error..."

"Huh?" Patamon turned around in mid-air, eying up the monitor questioningly. To his surprise it wasn't the dark blankness he'd expected. In fact, quite the opposite. An eerie glow in a radioactive white emanated from the previously dead screen. Patamon knew neither how nor why it was doing this. After all, the computer had shut down...

Hadn't it?

"Ding! Error."

Clearly not.

"Patamon, what are you doing in there?" TK bellowed again.

Patamon either didn't hear him, or simply opted not to respond. The ghostly monitor before him drew his mind away from the present, drawing him towards it like a moth to a flame. It was strange. He knew there was something unusual about all this. But, for some reason, he didn't care.

Coming to rest on the desk itself, right in front of the monitor, Patamon simply stared blankly into the whiteness. He noticed, quite bizarrely, that the screen itself seemed almost nonexistent – as if there were no boundary between the glass and the air. Tilting his head to one side in question, he tentatively reached towards it with one paw. And he touched...

Nothing.

His paw simply passed through where his mind told him the glass surface should be. There was no resistance, no heat from the monitor, not even a slight static shock. Just blank whiteness.

"Odd..."

Unexpectedly, the monitor began to hum, volume increasing steadily until the hum became a drone. In perfect sync with the sound, the light began to intensify. Patamon began to feel panic rising in the pit of his stomach. Something was definitely not right about all this. Not right at all...

"TK!"

And with a flash, he was gone.

The monitor quickly died down, white fading through every shade of grey imaginable until, with a final click, the usual blankness returned. The room was once again still and quiet, the only sound being the call of the outdoors.

A moment later, the door creaked open, just wide enough for TK to peek his head around and gaze into the room, "What is it, Patamon?"

A quick glance from side to side revealed nothing of his good friend.

"Patamon?" He called again, just to make sure. "Hmm... Must've gone on without me." It was the only conclusion. Closing the door behind him, TK made his way outside.

* * *

"Ding! Error..." Graeme's computer declared in a tone which almost seemed laced with anger. At least, to Graeme's mind, it seemed angry. But then, malfunctioning equipment sometimes need vilifying just for a reason to blame it.

"Oh, come on!" he cried in disbelief. Everything had been going so well. No runtime errors. No exceptions thrown up by the program. The login had gone smoothly, and up until the adoption it had all seemed fine. And now this.

In the back of his mind, the programmer inside him knew that the problem was most likely to be somewhere within the AI coding. Some function or variable out of place, throwing up something the computer hadn't anticipated. But the rational part of his mind was currently being overwhelmed by the big kid inside him, the one which had been so looking forwards to seeing this dream, this passion, come true after so long spent trying.

"Ding! Error..." It retorted against his best efforts.

With a roll of his eyes, and an overly heavy sigh, Graeme conceded defeat. He'd just have to start over again.

With heavy hands, he clumsily hit ctrl alt delete to terminate the program.

"Ding! Error."

OK... Alt f4.

"Ding! Error."

"What the...?"

Alt tab, alt escape... A whole host of other shortcuts tried, and not one terminated the program.

"I don't believe this!" Graeme threw his arms up into the air. This was getting beyond a joke, "Just close the program down!" He hit his monitor on both sides in frustration.

To his horror, the screen went blank.

"No!" He shook it roughly, "Come back on! Please!" he begged. Even for an inanimate object, his computer proved spiteful and heartless. Nothing changed.

"Grrr!" He glowered at the keyboard and mouse. Still nothing changed.

Accepting defeat, the young man leaned down under his desk and switched the computer off at the wall. He'd just have to try again later on. With a little luck, he'd be able to trace the problem and rectify it. Launch would just have to be delayed a couple of hours more.

Right now, he needed food.

Resigning himself to defeat, he allowed a brief wave of optimism wash over him before rising heavily to his feet. A good meal would help feed his brain. And then, he could try all over again.

No sooner had he reached the door and placed his hand upon the handle than he heard a barely audible click from behind. Turning to look behind him, he noticed that his monitor was still on, bright and luminous. There was also a high-pitched drone coming from it.

"How peculiar..." He thought aloud.

The drone seemed to get louder until... No, that couldn't be right. It sounded almost like screaming. His computer was screaming at him.

It was then that he noticed a small dark dot in the middle of the screen – or at least, where the screen should have been. A silhouette growing amidst the brightness, in fact. And as the screaming grew louder, so the image grew larger. It quickly took shape, as well as colour and definition. Graeme recognised it well.

"Is that a Pata-"

He didn't get a chance to finish, as at that moment, a somewhat disoriented Patamon crashed into him. With a thud, they collided with the door.

You just know that's got to hurt.

* * *

Well, that's the end of Chapter I. Let me know what you think. Next chapter will be bringing in other characters, old and new, so watch this space.

Thanks for reading!

NKC


	2. Chapter II

**Chapter II**

The sweet smell of summer blossom filled the air, riding lightly on the delicate breeze, both invigorating and refreshing. Butterflies danced a majestic waltz - small, tame birds in a nearby tree adding unspoken lyrics to the symphony.

Gatomon, curled up and perched upon the balcony, could feel the heat of the summer sun warming her very soul. The sensory banquet which marked the warmest months of the year thrilled her senses, as she reminded herself again why she loved this time of year so much. Unlike the parched, scorched wastes of the Digital World, the middle-months on earth were so much more to behold.

Her eyes closed, she inhaled with a deep sigh, holding for a moment to savour each and every scent as it tickled her sensitive nose. As she exhaled once more, her eyes opened, a grin crossing her small, feline lips.

It was a beautiful day.

"Gatomon," called the friendly voice of her best friend from inside the apartment, "It's time to go."

Untangling her limbs from beneath her, the deceptively small Egyptian kitten climbed to her feet, stepping back into the apartment via the patio window. Having just been in direct sunlight, it took her eyes a moment to adjust to the relative darkness, slowly revealing the familiar scene.

Kari, she noted, was stood in the open door to the home, propping it open with her foot. The keys in her right hand jangled as she toyed with them impatiently, the expression on her face revealing an almost child-like eagerness to get going.

It brought a smile to Gatomon's face.

"What's the rush?" She asked her companion as she closed and locked the ceiling-high window behind her, "It's only TK. You've seen him before." She teased.

"I'll 'only TK' you." Kari threatened in jest, sticking her tongue out.

Gatomon mirrored the expression, letting her eyes cross slightly, a light giggle coming from Kari.

"Stop it. You know that makes my eyes go funny!"

"You should see what these eyes do to other Digimon!" Gatomon teased, stepping past Kari and out into the hallway.

Kari nudged Gatomon along with her foot, giving herself room to shut the door. With a click, and a shake of the handle for good measure, she ensured that it was locked.

"I have," She reminded, slipping the keys into her pocket safely, "Several times."

The pair moved off down the hallway in the direction of the elevator. With just a little luck, the air-con would be fixed, and they wouldn't boil to death on their descent to the ground floor.

"I always preferred my Lightening Paw, to be honest." Gatomon swiped her pars from side to side as if in demonstration, flexing her claws all the while, "Mind control is too much like hard work."

"Balls of yarn, beware..." Kari taunted in a deliberately spooky voice, summoning the elevator. As luck would have it, it was already on their floor. A pleasant rarity.

Kari entered the smallish metal cube, turning around to look at her short, white furred friend, who now stood with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. Kari couldn't suppress a titter.

"Watch yourself, missy." Gatomon warned, "I've fought scarier creatures than you over much less than _that._"

Smiling innocently – much to Gatomon's amusement – the Digidestined girl reached out and pressed the button for the ground floor. Gatomon's eyes went wide as the doors began to slide shut, the screech of metal grinding against metal resonating out into the corridor.

"Hey, wait for me!" the feline Digimon cried out, leaping forwards with her paws outstretched, only just making it through the doors before they shut behind her with a deep clunk. "What was that for?" She demanded indignantly, brushing down her fur with her paws.

"You gotta get up early in the day to beat me." Kari winked.

"You know," Gatomon pondered, her fingers on her chin, "I think I was wrong... You're the scariest thing around here." The elevator started with a violent jolt.

"Oh?"

"Have you seen yourself in the morning?"

Kari, rolling her eyes, gave Gatomon a nudge with her foot.

The feline simply laughed.

* * *

Jayne was bored. There was no other way to describe it. Bored, bored, bored, bored, BORED!

But then, this really didn't come as much of a surprise to her. Having just spent her entire week trying desperately to keep up to date with what seemed to be a never-ending heap of assignments, deadlines and good old mental block, her brain had finally turned to mush about halfway through the week. And now, at week's end, she needed to find some way to put it all back together again.

But things were never as simple as they ought to be.

Every other student who lived in her residence block seemed to have something else to do; work, sleep, eat. And none of them wanted to do any of those things with her!

The cheek!

An exasperated sigh escaped her, and she shot a forlorn gaze out of her window. Just her luck to get the room with a brick wall for a view.

There really was absolutely nothing for her to do. Having spent the previous hour attempting to find a book to read or a DVD to watch – her collections of both now well and truly strewn around the typically miniscule student's room, making for quite the heaped mess – but to no avail.

Been there, done that, as the saying goes.

So she'd eventually found herself sat at her laptop computer, her search for something to do online proving fruitless. Nothing seemed to take her fancy; to scratch that itch for entertainment which had begun to drive her mad.

"It's the freaking weekend!" She cried in outburst, fists clenched tight, "There must be something I can do!"

When the only answer she received was silence, Jayne let out an over-exaggerated sigh of frustration, and smacked her head down onto the keyboard.

"... Owie!"

"Ding! Error..."

Jayne summoned up the energy to lift her head back up off the keyboard, completely unaware of the red-outlined patchwork which now marked her forehead. Reading a small popup on her screen and resetting her glasses on her nose, she opted to close the message.

To her surprise, the mashed keyboard had somehow closed her internet browser, making sure she'd lost track of whatever it was she'd been doing beforehand. What had she been doing? If she couldn't even remember, then it must've been boring. And she hated boring!

"Stupid browser..." she grumbled anyway, refusing to accept responsibility.

Clicking on the desktop shortcut, she started over with a fresh browser screen.

"Huh?" She tilted her head questioningly as it popped up, "That's not my homepage." She pointed at the screen in accusation, as if it were to blame.

"Di-Gi-Mon Online." She read aloud.

"Welcome to Digimon Online!" her computer responded excitedly.

"Ugh," she crossed her arms and slouched, distinctly unimpressed, "What a geeky voice. Must be a geeky game."

The reasoning was sound.

"I am your Interactive D-Terminal, here to assist you along your journey through the world of Digimon!" the program went on, unabated; "I see that you're new to our site. Please, click here to begin."

"Hmmm... May as well." She figured. Nothing much to lose, and it'd pass the time.

Reaching for the mouse, she clicked the begin button and waited patiently. She could hear her computer whirr into overdrive, as if tackling some huge load of data.

"Welcome to the adoption centre." It spoke at last, "Please follow the instructions to select the Digimon of your preference. Before proceeding, please note that the choice you make is final. Once you've selected a Digimon it is yours for the duration of your time here."

Jayne blinked, "Adoption?" Then her eyes lit up, "Ooh, a virtual pet! This could be fun after all!"

Clicking on the drop-down menu, she soon hit a snag of epic proportions. The list contained thousands of names! And each one of them was meaningless to her. Agumon, Betamon, Biyomon, and so on, for what seemed to be infinity.

"Now how on earth am I supposed to know what all this crap means?!"

Of course, the computer couldn't understand her demands, nor her frustration. But that didn't stop it from taking the full blame in the form of a stern telling-off.

"Stupid good-for-nothing machine." She fumed, then, "Oooh, a search filter!"

Joy filled her once more.

Unfortunately, it was short-lived. The filter confused her even more than the original list had done, "Attribute and Family?"

Experimentally clicking on the attribute option, she found a list which was much more limited than the first. In fact, it contained only three options; Vaccine, Data and Virus. She had no idea what that meant. Were these virtual pets going to be diseases of some kind?

With a shrug, she simply opted for Vaccine.

Now the second menu – family – was a fair bit longer, but still only ten items or so in total. But these options were even more baffling than the first.

"What the heck is a 'Metal Empire family'?" she shook her head in disbelief. How did people think up this nonsense?

Seemed like even this option was going to be a random choice. Still, luck of the draw and all that jazz... It was worth a try. Closing her eyes, she moved the mouse in a quick circle or two, then clicked.

"Nature Spirits Family." That definitely had a cool ring to it.

Her eyes boggled at the results.

"Awww, man!" She threw herself back into her chair, slouching in a grump. The list, which had been thousands long, was now clearly shorter. But at her best guess, Jayne reckoned that there had to be at least two hundred options left.

"Please select a name from the list." The computer urged, speaking up for the first time in several minutes.

"Hold your horses." Jayne grumbled, beginning to trudge through the list. The names on it were just as bizarre as the last time. Sure, there were less of them. But they were still equally as meaningless to her. And the few which did spark some recognition seemed too crazy to be true.

"Dinobeemon?" She puzzled, "A dinosaur bee?"

What nonsense.

"Hey, wait a minute..."

One of those names definitely rang a bell.

"Gatomon. Hmmm..." She recalled the word 'Gato' from the Spanish lessons she'd taken when she was back in school. It meant cat, if her memory served her correctly, "Maybe it's some sort of cat?"

Deciding to click on it, an image appeared on her screen and began to rotate. A small, white cat perched on its haunches, sporting oversized claws dressed in yellow and red gloves; an unusually lengthy tail striped with purple hoops and decorated with a gold ring of some description; a huge pair of ears, tipped with sprouts of purple fur. And, finally, two huge sapphire eyes which sparkled with wit and intelligence.

"That is the coolest cat I've ever seen!" Jayne declared.

"You have chosen... Gatomon!

* * *

"Hey!" Kari waved across the grassy parkland to a familiar figure, sitting in the shadowy confines of a large tree, "Hey, TK!"

The blonde haired teenager looked up to see his best friend and her Digimon, waving back with a warm smile.

"Hey Kari. Hey Gatomon." He responded once they were closer. He seemed to eye them up expectantly; something which wasn't lost on Kari.

"What is it?" She questioned.

"Is Patamon not with you?" he asked genuinely. Having thought the little orange and cream rookie had gone on without him, he'd assumed Patamon would've gone ahead to meet Kari and Gatomon.

"With us?" Kari shot Gatomon a confused look, which the Digikitty returned.

Gatomon turned back to TK, "Shouldn't he be with you?"

TK nodded, "He was this morning. But when we decided to come outside, he took off without me."

"Hmmm..." Kari puzzled, opting to sit down in the shade next to TK. She instantly noted how much cooler it seemed in the shade of that old tree, "We've not seen him at all today."

"You sure he didn't just fall asleep under your bed again?" Gatomon asked, recalling a time when Patamon had crawled under TK's bed and dozed off. By the end of the day, TK had all the Digidestined and their Digimon prowling all of Patamon's "Hangouts" in a bid to find him. They'd all been on the verge of going to the Digital World, in case he'd somehow been kidnapped, or worse, reconfigured.

When Gatomon had opted to try and catch his scent from the last place she'd seen him, she'd soon located him – still fast asleep – under TK's bed, head resting firmly in a heap of dust-bunnies.

The bloodhound jokes at Gatomon's expense had gone on for weeks. But everyone was relieved to hear Patamon was alright, at least. Although he got a stern rebuke from both Gatomon and TK that day.

"No, it's a new bed. There's no way he could get under it." There was a slight tremble of fear in TK's voice, one which Kari picked up with ease, knowing him so well.

She reassuringly placed a hand on his knee, "Where did you last see him?"

He looked at her, blinking for a moment before replying, "Well, he was at the computer last I saw. And when I looked again, he wasn't anywhere in the room. He didn't pass me, so the only place he could've gone is out the window. That's why I thought he was with you two."

"You want us to help you look for him?" Kari offered.

TK nodded gratefully, "But where do we start?"

"Same as before," Gatomon suggested, still standing in front of the pair, "Last place you saw him."

After a few seconds' pause, TK shifted his weight onto his arm and then rose to his feet, turning to help Kari up. He dusted himself off, "Guess we're off to my place, then?"

"Looks that way." Kari smiled, certain they'd find Patamon there. Not that she doubted TK. But it was the only place he'd go if he wasn't with any of them, surely?

Gatomon turned to look back over the way Kari and she had entered the park. In the distance, just above the tree line, a series of apartment blocks and high-rises were clearly visible. They'd all made the trip there so many times before that Gatomon was sure she could make it there and back blindfolded.

A strange and discomforting sensation had settled itself in the pit of her stomach. Something about all this just didn't feel right, and it would keep nagging at her until she got some answers. It wasn't at all like Patamon to just take off on his own without telling anybody in advance. And it wasn't like him to be on his own, either. If he wasn't with TK, then he was generally with her or Kari.

There was a very ominous feel to all this, and it really bugged her.

"My kitty-sense is tingling..."

"What was that, Gatomon?" Kari asked, moving closer.

Gatomon turned her head, looking back at her partner. After a moment's consideration, she spoke softly, "Nothing Kari. But I think I'm gonna go ahead, see if I can find him. See you when you get there!"

The white feline was running back across the grass before she'd even finished talking, giving TK and Kari no time to respond. Moments later, she was out of sight entirely.

"I wonder what's gotten into her?" TK asked, looking over to Kari.

All the girl did was shrug.

* * *

"Ding! Error..." Jayne's computer said defiantly, garnering an angry growl from its owner.

"Don't you error me!" She fumed, shaking her fist at the screen, "I want my Digi-pet-mon-thing!"

Another click of the mouse yielded the same results, the computer curtly reminding her of the error at hand.

"I said no errors!" She screamed, loudly enough to wake the dead. Her fists met the keyboard with fury, mashing the keys down with such force that it was a miracle it didn't simply snap in two. But no, this computer was too stubborn for that.

"Ding! Error..."

"Oh, I give up!" she declared, slamming the screen of the laptop shut, sending it into sleep mode. But when she opened it again and tried to restart, the screen simply remained blank. Had it finally, after all these years of verbal and physical abuse, given up the ghost and packed in?

"What?!" she tapped feverishly at every key, exhausting all possibilities, "You can't break! You're too old to break..."

Then, _Click!_

There was life in the old dog yet!

The screen, mere moments before completely blank and devoid of all recognisable signs of life, had begun to brighten. But there was something strange about all this. The screen went from what was a more natural degree of lighting, to bright white and downright painful to look at.

As the intensity increased, Jayne found herself having too look away to avoid hurting her eyes. She didn't look again until a high droning sound appeared. But not from the little laptop's speakers; from the very screen itself.

"Stupid busted computer..." she grumbled.

* * *

Gatomon scaled the several storeys with ease, the abstract shapes and angles of the large concrete building perfectly adapted for her clearly competent skills in climbing. She took to the vertical surface like a monkey to the woods.

Eventually she found herself outside TK's still ajar bedroom window. Claws digging into the outside sill, Gatomon hoisted herself up, exchanging firm grip for a solid foothold. The window was wide enough open for Gatomon to easily slink inside.

She jumped down to the carpeted floor without so much as a thud, and began to wander around TK's room.

"Patamon?" She called, not too loudly. Walking around the bed, she saw that TK had been right. It was so low to the ground that the only thing getting under there any time soon was stray socks.

Speaking of which, "Ewwww, TK..." Gatomon tentatively picked up a lone dirty sock and cast it through the air in the direction of a clearly overflowing laundry hamper, "You need to tidy your room!"

Watching the sock collide with the hamper, before sliding down it to the floor, Gatomon considered looking inside it for Patamon. It looked about the right size for him to be comfortable in. And it'd be a cosy sleeping place.

But the idea was dismissed just as quickly as it had arrived.

"No way Patamon's in there. You'd have to be an ultimate level Mummymon to take on _that _kind of laundry! And this cat just isn't that desperate for yarn."

Grimacing, Gatomon knew that it was all going to come down to a repetition of her bloodhound act. Ridicule was sure to follow.

"You owe me big time for this one, Pata..." She griped to herself.

Gatomon recalled what TK had said about last seeing Patamon on the computer. And, hopping up to the swivel chair and desk, she soon discovered that he had been right. Patamon's familiar scent was all over the chair, the desktop and the computer itself.

But that was all.

Sitting back in the chair, she thought about this for a moment. The only realistic explanation she could come up with was that Patamon had taken flight. Which meant she had no real way of finding him, unless he'd landed again nearby. Scents like that didn't tend to linger long in midair.

An object on the floor caught her attention from the corner of her eye, drawing Gatomon's full concentration. It was a picture frame, face down on the ground. Perhaps a clue?

Leaping down to the floor, she carefully picked it up, turning it around and holding it steady in both paws. It was a picture of TK, Kari, Patamon and herself on holiday in New York. The memories it 

brought back were fond and overwhelming, drawing a momentary smile from her lips. It passed, her 'mission' resurfacing.

Quietly and carefully, she placed it on the desk where it belonged.

The room was absolutely silent.

"Where are you, Patamon?" she thought out loud. She was starting to worry. What if something bad really had happened to him?

A barely audible click caught her ear, and she turned to see that the computer had turned itself on. Gatomon frowned, puzzled. It hadn't been on when she'd arrived, had it? No, she was certain it hadn't been.

"Patamon, is that you?" she questioned hopefully, only to gain no response.

She watched the monitor grow ever more luminous, becoming almost blinding. Gatomon had to squint to look at it, a shiver running down her spine as she did so. That uneasy feeling was back, and it was rife.

It was then she noticed the light hum, although it seemed to be getting louder and higher in pitch. It reached the point where it became an almost deafening drone. It was growing too painful for her sensitive ears, and she found herself having to cover them with her ears.

All the while, the monitor grew brighter still.

"Patamon?" Gatomon whispered fearfully, "Kari?"

There was a blinding flash, forcing Gatomon to close her eyes.

And then the world fell apart.

* * *

And that's the end of chapter 2. You've now met all of the main characters, IC and OC. Hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know what you made of it.

Thanks for reading. And thank you Strawbeekiwi and Lord Pata for your reviews!

NKC


	3. Chapter III

**Chapter III**

The Dark Lord himself sat heavily atop his throne of skulls, carved from the pitch basalt rock which formed the environs of his dark domain. The gloom laden shadows of the cavernous room filled every corner of that place, seemingly rendering its limits to infinity. But the shadows themselves, such as they were, dared not encroach upon this being, for fear of his monstrous wrath.

His very soul reverberated to the tone of iniquitous malevolence.

His much valued solitude was betrayed by the sound of his vicious clawed hands, digging themselves firmly into the dense, compacted rock of the throne's arms, scouring deep gashes into the surface. The sound alone was enough to drive any sane being senseless.

But he welcomed it.

The sound of metal moving against metal quite suddenly echoed around the shadowed fringes of the cavern, slowly dying away as a flickering light emerged from the now open doorway.

A small creature, much akin to a lion cub, spiked fur of deep orange and yellow, eyes a pale pewter, entered the room. Its small tail held a strongly glowing flame, though it flickered with his every move, causing both light and darkness to dance across the floor in a bitter waltz. The distracting glitter roused the Dark Lord from his indifference, and his eyes set upon this intruding individual.

"Lord Darkdramon," It stopped before the towering throne, bowing it's head in a sign of respect, "I bring news to you from our forces in the Eastern Sector!" it declared with excitement.

The vast metal-clad demon seemed to stir for a moment, his thick armour drawing across the harsh seat's surface like rusted nails across a blackboard. The small rookie winced, an unsettling shiver traversing the full length of his spine.

"Coronamon," It's voice was deep and cold, revealing an uncaring soul, "You disturb my rest."

"I'm sorry, my Lord." Came the bold reply, "But I didn't think it could wait!"

The Mega slammed his fists down hard into the solid volcanic stone of the throne's arm rests, hard enough to encourage thin cracks to expose themselves all across its surface. Pressing down, he lifted himself to his feet, stepping down from the pedestal on which the grand chair sat, moving close in front of his small minion. Coronamon fell to one knee, bowing his head.

Lifting his right arm, Darkdramon brought his lance to bear, pointing the sharp tip at the rookie Digimon, his eyes narrowed and threatening.

"Have we or have we not discussed your 'thinking' in the past, Coronamon?" he asked, voice deep and booming, the malicious tone raw and fresh.

"Yes my Lord!" Coronamon responded without hesitation, fear rife inside him. Though he tried to conceal it, his voice still faltered slightly as he spoke, "I-I simply wished to serve you as best I could."

"You will leave the manner in which you serve me to my own command." He leaned in close, towering over the lion cub, "Do I make myself clear?" his voice was low and dangerous. Coronamon knew that any wrong move on his part would result in his immediate and untimely death.

He dared to look up when he heard his Lord and Master move away, reseating himself on the large throne. Wisely, he opted not to speak until he was spoken to. Life held far too much temptation and value for him to give it up just yet.

"Now," Darkdramon began, setting himself back against the uncomfortable basalt, "What news of my war?"

Coronamon rose to his feet slowly, daring to look upon his Master again, "Lilamon has sent word that our forces overwhelmed the enemy keep. Our primary objective was taken with limited resistance, and the enemy was easily swept aside."

"Excellent," the response was nonchalant and detached, icy in its tone "Lilamon serves me well. One day, perhaps you too could prove to be as useful as she."

The contempt which Darkdramon held for the weaker rookie before him was barely concealed. How he detested weakness. Coronamon had to suppress a wince at his Master's disapproval, mainly because disapproval usually meant pain, death, or worse...

"I strive to serve you well, my liege." He bowed his torso.

"Indeed. Now leave. Your presence is bothersome."

"Yes Lord." Coronamon turned, heading back out through the doors. They closed automatically behind him, sealing off the very personification of evil from the rest of the world, "Stupid Darkdramon..." he grumbled, "l'd like to knock him down a peg or two."

It was a silly thing to say, really. Darkdramon was no ordinary Mega. He wielded powers far beyond that of most Digimon at the same level. He was also totally without fear. Whereas Coronamon was just a rookie. A fight would be over after the first punch, if not before that. Weak... Coronamon hated feeling weak.

"I'd be careful what I say, if I were you." Came a distinctly feline voice from the shadows to his right, mischief thick in it's tone. Coronamon was startled at first, shaken back to reality in an instant, but his expression quickly turned to anger.

"I doubt our Master would very much approve of you talking about him in that manner." The voice continued.

Coronamon recognised it instantly, "Go away, Mikemon. Don't you have a mouse to chase?"

The calico cat stepped into view, entering the flickering illumination cast by the flame of Coronamon's tail. He wore a lopsided, sardonic grin on his lips, pleasure at the little lion's irritation flickering in his dark green eyes.

"Oh, you know me." He toyed with Coronamon, "Far too busy to be chasing mice. I'd much rather play with the other cats."

"I'm no cat!" Coronamon erupted in anger, causing Mikemon to grin. He'd taken the bait, as always. How predictable. "I'm a lion! King of the beasts!"

Mikemon's response was a mocking yawn, "If you say so. But from one cat to another, your bark is worse than your bite."

Coronamon growled, only fuelling Mikemon's grin further. Whilst the lion cub knew that he was the smallest of the Dark Lord's lieutenants, his tried to carry himself like a Digimon of much higher stature. But this only served to supplement his frustration, and Mikemon's taunts didn't help matters.

"You know what your problem is, Mikemon?!" He fumed openly.

"I'm sure you're about to tell me." He idly picked at one of his claws, cleaning a bit of grit out from under it. He flicked it away dismissively.

"You never take anything seriously!"

The calico cat met his eyes, scoffing, "Surely what you mean, my _friend_, is that I don't take _you_ seriously."

With a growl, Coronamon let a punch fly, anger finally boiling over. But the rookie was no match for the champion level cat, who caught his hand firmly by the wrist with one of his own brown-gloved paws. He squeezed, just enough to make the bones click disturbingly.

"Ah, ah, ah." He waved a clawed digit from his free paw right in front of Coronamon's face, "We'll have no violence from you."

Coronamon's subsequent growl was deep-felt and scathing, and he yanked his arm away sharply. Mikemon just snickered.

"I have things I need to be doing." Coronamon gave out an indignant huff, before shoving his way past Mikemon.

Mikemon smirked at the arrogant, ambitious rookie. "Oh, by the way; if you want to punch me," he called mockingly as the light from Coronamon's tail faded away, the darkness ebbing its way back in at the first opportunity, "You may want to sharpen those little claws of yours."

A low snarl could be heard in the distance. Mikemon grinned openly, and then disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

Graeme clambered groggily to his feet, peeling himself off the floor and reaching up to the door handle to support himself. His free hand rushed to his temple as he straightened up, massaging it lightly in an attempt to fend off the growing dizziness. It soon passed, and he found himself trying to recall exactly what had happened.

But his mind was foggy. The image of a bright computer screen and a rapidly growing silhouette played through his mind. Beyond that, there was just pain and darkness.

"What the hell just happened?" He mumbled, trying to get his bearings. He was definitely still in his room. He could see his desk, the idle computer, wardrobe, washbasin, bed... Everything where it should be. "I've got to cut down on the web-time. I'm losing my marbles." He shook his head.

"Urgh..." came a soft moan from a little way off to his right. It startled Graeme, and it took him a moment or two to collect himself again.

"Who's there?" he demanded uncertainly.

No reply came. But the first groan had seemingly come from just under his bed. Swallowing his fear with a very audible gulp, he fell to his knees, leaning over to get a good look underneath. When he saw a pair of eyes flutter open and look back at him, it took all of his strength to suppress a scream. But his bodily reaction couldn't be so easily stifled, and he leaped backwards, ending up pressed back firmly against the wall, sitting on the floor at its base.

He looked around frantically, searching for something he could use to defend himself. Unfortunately, the only object to hand was a hardback copy of the Oxford English Dictionary. Sticks and stones can break bones, and Graeme could only hope that words would do the same.

"C-come out from under there..." He demanded nervously, hands shaking, "Who- whatever you are!"

Another groan could be heard, sounding just as pained and uncomfortable as the first, "Ugh... Don't yell." It almost pleaded, "My head's killing me."

Graeme's eyes went wider than they ever had up to that point in his life. Somebody was under his bed. Under _his _bed! Suddenly, a dictionary seemed like an inadequate defence against and unknown foe.

"Come out from under there, or I'll... I'll..." He looked at the dictionary, cover to cover, "I'll hit you with my... Deadly weapon! Yeah, my weapon..."

_Genius. _The little voice in his head chided sarcastically.

"Shut up." He shot back.

"Geeze, stop yelling!" The intruder complained again, clearly in a fair bit of discomfort.

"I said come out!" Grae demanded, ignoring the voice's commands, speaking a little bit more confidently than before, "I've got a dictionary here and I'm not afraid to use it!"

Over the course of the next few seconds, Graeme, and everything he thought he knew or understood about the universe, was turned entirely upside down and inside out. Stepping out from under the bed cautiously came a small, winged orange and cream creature which he knew better than any other cartoon character in the history of TV.

"A... A... Patamon?"

There were no two ways about it. The knock to his head had clearly damaged some neurons or shaken his brain loose from its mountings. There was no way that what he was seeing could be right. Because, if it was, then the creature before him was a real live Digimon! And that was utterly impossible, right?

"That's me." Patamon answered, then shook his head from side to side, attempting to shake off the last lingering sense of wooziness. A deep breath was all it took, and he was finally back to full working order.

Taking a quick glance around, he quickly realised that he was in unfamiliar surroundings. A comparatively small room cluttered with seemingly random objects. It smelled musty and a little humid. Where was this place anyway?

He also noted a very peculiar human sitting a little way away, holding tightly to a rather heavy looking book and eying him in disbelief. Messy brown hair, hazel eyes... Definitely not TK.

"Who are you?"

"Umm... I'm Graeme." He replied hesitantly, allowing himself a moment to relax.

Patamon sat down on his hind legs, an inquisitive look on his face, "And where's TK?"

"TK?" Grae was suddenly taken aback, "As in Takeru Takashi?"

"That's what I said," Patamon insisted with a nod, "TK."

"_The _TK..." The ramifications of this were huge, "Which means, you're _the _Patamon?!"

Now Patamon was even more confused. The look in this strange human's eyes had changed from one of partial fear and uncertainty to one of near reverence. And it changed so fast that it was simply startling.

"What do you mean, '_The Patamon'_?"

"The Patamon from the TV show!" Graeme began with zest, eager to explain all, "The one who fought Devimon, Etemon, the Dark Masters, Myotismon, and all the other badguys."

Now it was Patamon's turn to be confused and fearful. Not only was this human strange, but he was talking like a crazed lunatic, and reciting events from his own life quite clearly, "TV show? All that stuff really happened, you know."

"No, no." Graeme began, his mind racing. There were several things going on at once in his head. First, he was trying to think of an explanation for Patamon. Trying to convince him that it was all just a TV show wouldn't really be all that easy. But then, how could it be just another TV show? After all, here before him was a real, living, breathing Digimon. And none other than the Patamon from the original show.

On top of all this, he was trying to figure out how all this had happened in the first place. He remembered now, quite vividly, seeing the orange and white rookie come flying out of his monitor, much like a Digiport on the programme. But all he'd done was create an online digital pet; 

something which was supposed to _simulate_ Digimon within the online world. He had no idea how a Digiport worked, let alone how to create one.

And yet, clearly something like that had happened. The only question was how? The AI within the program should have just created a little pixelated picture of a Digimon on the computer, and learned and expanded itself – within reason – as time passed, growing into a more complex virtual pet.

And then there was the AI in the actual game construct itself – the D-Terminal, as he'd so aptly named it. He'd decided long ago that the virtual pet idea would be best if it existed in real time. Which meant that all of its virtual needs would need to be taken care of in real time. So when the owner wasn't around, the AI would step in and do that.

Clearly, something had gone amiss. Somehow, his code had managed to retrieve a real Digimon, and recreate it in the real world!

This was one hell of a breakthrough, to say the least.

"Here," Graeme climbed to his feet, heading for his television and DVD player, "I'll show you."

Patamon watched with curiosity as the human seemingly retrieved a disc from a nearby heap of DVD cases, and inserted it into the machine. Graeme started it up, and skipped forwards to the strangest thing Patamon had ever seen.

"_School, wow. Looks like fun!"_

"_I don't think Kari's having fun inside of school or out. She hasn't been sleeping well because of her bad dreams."_

"_Bad dreams?"_

"_Yeah. She won't tell me what they're about, but she wakes up every morning, dripping in a cold sweat..."_

"_Has she sensed something?"_

"_I don't know. Maybe I'm just imagining it... Let's go raid the cafeteria!"_

"_Hey, wait for me!"_

Graeme stopped the playback, looking back from the screen to Patamon. The little Digimon seemed to have paled in the face.

"Hey, you OK?" He asked with concern, turning off the telly before moving over to sit on his bed. Patamon seemed to be staring off into space. It was a few moments before he responded.

"I remember that conversation with Gatomon. It was supposed to be private." He looked up accusingly. There was definitely anger – or was it hurt? – in his eyes.

Graeme held up his hands, proclaiming innocence, "Don't look at me. All I did was buy the DVD."

"How did this happen?" Patamon asked rhetorically, seemingly deflating as he did so, slouching on his haunches and looking very forlorn.

"Beats me." Graeme allowed himself to slip down to the floor, still sitting, using the bed as a stand-in backrest, "One minute I'm testing a computer program, the next thing I know I'm hit in the face by a real live Digimon."

Patamon's ears perked up, and he turned to face the human, "Computer? I was at a computer when this all started. It sucked me into the screen, then I was here."

It was at that moment that Patamon realised that he had no idea where exactly "here" was. In his experience, moving through a computer screen took you from one world to another. It made sense that this could be a whole new world. It clearly wasn't the Digital world, at any rate. But if there was a way here, then there had to be a way back. And if there was a way back, he just knew that he had to find it if he ever wanted to see TK and his friends again.

Graeme, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out exactly where his program had gone wrong, and how in heaven's name it could do this.

"This may sound silly..." Patamon asked, shaking Graeme out of his reverie, "But where is here?"

Graeme really had to think of the best way to explain this, "Well, from my point of view, this is the 'real' world. But I guess for you, that's a pretty pointless abstraction."

"Wha...?"

"It's meaningless." He clarified.

"I'll say."

"I suppose the easiest thing to call it is a parallel dimension?" That seemed as good an explanation as anything. But Graeme's mind was turning to mush as he tried to absorb everything that was going on.

"Oh..." Patamon nodded in understanding, "Like when TK parks his car..."

Graeme couldn't suppress a laugh at that, "Well, not exactly..."

"I need to get home." Patamon sighed. He had no idea how he'd manage it, but he had to try... Somehow.

Graeme couldn't help but notice how sad he looked, and he felt a strong sense of guilt for him being here in the first place. So there was only one thing to do about it. "I'll help you get home."

Patamon perked up so much that he actually smiled, "You really mean it?"

"Sure!" Graeme's enthusiasm was genuine. But he couldn't help adding the afterthought, _If I can figure out what went wrong..._

Now that would take time.

* * *

That's the end of chapter three. A little bit more revealed, so far as the plot is concerned. But I hope it still leaves you guessing.

Thank you for the reviews. The encouragement helps a lot, and I really appreciate it.

Chapter four is already underway. Hope to see you there when I get it done.

Enjoy!  
NKC


	4. Chapter IV

**Chapter IV**

The desolation was total.

The battlefield smouldered, pocked with craters from the hours of battle which had just come to pass. The nearby keep, vast, carved from seemingly impenetrable stone, lay in ruins. Battlements were shattered, the once grand gate at its entrance was splintered, wrenched from its hinges and hanging limply to one side, no longer offering any resistance to any Mon wishing to enter.

The comparatively small garrison inside, once comprised of near to a thousand Guardromon, had been laid to waste.

Millimon simply stood atop the once grand walls of that fine castle, observing in silence as the thousands strong army of the Dark Lord rounded up the last of the defending Digimon. Rookies, champions, even an ultimate or two could be seen on the ground below. Each and every one now a prisoner of war.

Planting her scythe firmly on the ground with a metallic clank, she turned to look back over her shoulder. In the distance, the Master's castle was clearly visible, casting ghostly shadows across the immense plain in the silvery moonlight.

The keep on which she now stood had marked the border of the Eastern Sector with Darkdramon's own territory, and the local Digimon – as if somehow aware of her Lord's plan – had chosen to defend it with all their strength, even going so far as to form an army.

It was a futile effort.

Hearing a sudden flutter behind her, Millimon turned slowly to glance over her shoulder, silently observing as the flowery Lilamon landed nearby. A self-satisfied look was plastered across her face.

"And you doubted me." The ultimate level flower fairy sounded as smug as she looked.

"Indeed." Millimon's face was professionally blank, matching her tone with tenacity. She turned fully, looking beyond the delicate-looking pink and yellow Digimon, watching the demon hordes rampaging through the now defenceless town, rounding up the last of the populace and taking them away as spoils of war, "I'm sure his Lordship will be most pleased."

Lilamon's grin only widened as she hovered but a few inches above the cold stone surface. Her petal-covered feet were far too delicate to manage such a harsh surface. Millimon's, on the other hand – clad in strongly bound leather boots – paid no heed to such things. The Dark Warrior, such as she was, welcomed the cold like an old friend.

"He'd better be happy." Lilamon began, "All those Digimon I captured just for him, thanks to _my _brilliant strategy."

"As I recall," Millimon raised an eyebrow, "It was those thousands of troops who did most of the capturing."

The flower fairy waved her hand dismissively, unwilling to share any of the credit with anybody else, "Nonsense. Without my planning, where would we be?"

"In possession of a solid, defensible keep, perhaps?"

In the blink of an eye, Lilamon's pleasant smile had gone. In its place Millimon could see pure, seething rage and resentment. If Millimon hadn't have seen it all a million times before, she may well have been fearful of it. Maybe.

"Remember who you're talking to, Millimon." The flower scowled, raising her hand before her and charging her attack in an attempted demonstration of her powers.

Millimon's face still remained professionally blank, devoid of all expression and emotion, "If you are trying to intimidate me, please remember to whom _you_ speak. It is night-time, and whilst your power is drawn directly from the daytime sun, mine is enhanced by the fullest of moons." She turned to the side, gesturing to the giant silvery-white orb rising over the distant castle. She then lifted up her free hand, holding it palm upwards, and conjuring up a cool white ball of flame, which danced gently and gracefully through her fingers, "It would me most unwise of you to press the issue further."

"Humph!" Lilamon grunted, crossing her arms resentfully and looking away, "You don't scare me, Millimon. But... I have other things which need my attention. _Excuse _me."

She leapt into the air, flying away towards the horde below.

Millimon sighed. She and Lilamon had never seen eye to eye. But then, they were as different as two Digimon could possibly be. One, the very embodiment of nature, accustomed to sunlight and flowers. The other, a dark reaper, dwelling in the realms of death and darkness. There was a hole within her very being; a strange feeling of loss which she couldn't quite place, detached and inexplicable. And it only seemed to grow with time.

"You look deep in thought, Millimon." A familiar voice called from behind her. The cry of a Birdramon filled the sky suddenly. She noticed it now, heading down towards the battlefield. It must've just flown silently overhead, no doubt the means by which the keeper of the voice had found her, "What's on your mind?"

Of course, she knew instantly who it was, "You shouldn't try to sneak up on me, Mikemon." She sighed, "It never works."

"Always worth a try." She could hear the smirk in his voice. He always seemed so happy, "So, are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

She allowed herself to smile a little bit, looking to her left as he drew in closer, surveying the battlefield as she had been just moments earlier. He let out a whistle of surprise.

"I was just wondering why the Master tolerates Lilamon so." She confessed, returning her gaze forwards, noting a pair of Nanimon tormenting a group of smaller rookies. They were nothing more than lowlife playground bullies. But, if they served the Dark Lord without question, he didn't care what they got up to.

"Well," the small feline pondered, "She gets results." He waved a paw in the direction of the desolation before them, "And she's one of the strongest ultimates around – present company excepted, of course." He bowed his torso jokingly.

Millimon chuckled at his rather overt flattery.

"And," he leaned in, whispering with his paw to his cheek, "Between you and me, I think he fancies her."

Millimon's chuckle turned into an outright laugh, something in which she didn't often indulge. But she couldn't really help it. And it only got worse as Mikemon began doing a very poor imitation of their Lord.

"Lilamon," he put on his best deep, raspy, guttural voice, failing miserably at an accurate tone, "If you're not doing anything later, I'd love to pluck your petals!"

Millimon had to cover her mouth with her hand to quieten her laughter. Mikemon was grinning at her like a Cheshire cat, which only added fuel to the flames.

"You silly Mon." She said at last, regaining control again as their laughter subsided.

"That's me," he agreed, wide grin never fading for an instant.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, "So what brings you out here anyway?" she moved on swiftly, ribs aching slightly, "I thought you'd be back at the castle, tormenting Coronamon?"

Mikemon leaned back against the edge of the wall, which promptly shook loose under his weight and fell down the outside of the keep. He heard it hit the soft, muddy ground with a dull thud. He winced slightly

"Oops..." He grinned sheepishly, "Anyway, I _was_ at the castle. At least until I caught wind of Lilamon's 'magnificent' victory. _Then_ I tormented Coronamon."

Millimon smirked, "I know you too well."

"Aye." The calico cat's cheeky grin softened a bit, "That you do."

* * *

All Gatomon could recall at the moment was an unexpected bright flash and then complete disorientation. The world around her changed from one of solid objects to bright, undulating energy, and then back again in less time than it takes to blink. It took her a moment longer to gather her bearings, and she soon came to realise that she was positioned almost upside-down, lower body and legs propped up against a wall.

She swallowed hard, suppressing a wave of nausea before it could overwhelm her, then tried to right herself. She only made it as far as sitting up before she had to stop herself as the nausea returned, though somewhat less intense than the last wave.

_Something's not right..._ She realised, _This isn't TK's room. Where am I?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a low groan. Looking for its source, Gatomon soon came to realise that there was a girl lying sprawled out on the floor. Daring to step closer for a better look, she noted long, pale blonde hair shrouding the girl's face. A pair of glasses poked out through the gaps in the tangled mess of locks.

"Ouch... What was that for?" the girl spoke from beneath her matted mop.

That definitely wasn't TK.

She sat upright slowly, blinking once she was vertical and taking a couple of deep breaths. She proper herself up against her hands and looked up at the computer screen with dismay.

"Blank. Figures."

Gatomon stood stock still, simply watching to see what this strange new human would do. Somehow she hadn't even noticed the feline Digimon's presence there, her mind clearly fat too absorbed in other matters.

The girl tapped the power button lightly, testing the apparently dead machine. But not even the sound of the internal fan could be heard. Gatomon watched her press it several – or maybe a million? – More times, each one getting more and more angered and forceful.

"Work, you stupid machine!" this time she hit the whole keyboard – hard, "Work, damn it!"

Gatomon winced, feeling pity for the poor little machine. If it ever did have a chance of working again, it'd no doubt be far too bruised to last all that long anyway.

"Ugh!" the girl threw herself backwards onto the bed, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose where her glasses rested. The bed creaked loudly in protest of her dive onto it, but promptly ceased.

_Definitely a strange human. _Gatomon mused.

"I'm going to write a letter of complaint to whoever created that website!" the girl suddenly declared, sitting bolt-upright without warning, startling Gatomon, who instantly took up a defensive stance. She dropped it after a moment, though her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Oh, wait... I can't. Computer's bust..." After yet another loud sigh, she'd flopped back onto the bed again, once more buried beneath her lengthy hair. Gatomon could hear her chuntering away about something or other, words far too muffled to make out.

"Even for a human you're weird." Gatomon frowned, only moments later realising she'd actually spoken it aloud.

The girl went silent, slowly sitting upright again. Gatomon looked on as the blonde turned to slowly face her, eyes wide in alarm already. There was a moment of silence as azure eyes met sapphire, both questioning and somewhat worried.

"Erm... Hi?" Gatomon finally broke the silence nervously.

Somehow, the girl's eyes managed to grow wider still.

And then,

"EEEEEEK!"

Fast as lightening, the girl was on her feet. She'd leapt up onto the bed, somehow managing to drag her duvet up in the process – which she was now hiding behind, or at least peering over – and back herself into a walled corner.

Gatomon was too startled to do anything other than watch.

"Ohmygodohmygoohmygod!" The frightened girl spoke almost too fast for the cat's ears to keep up, "That cat just talked to me!"

"Hey, I'm not just a cat!" Gatomon protested, frowning.

"Nonononono!" shrieked the girl, shrinking down into the corner and covering herself entirely from view, "This can't be real. I'm dreaming! Yes, that's it! This is all a dream!"

A Gatomon watched with fascination as the heap of covers flinched, followed quickly by the sound of a rather harsh slap.

"Wake up, Jayne. Wake up!" she cried out, all the while still trying to knock herself out of the 'dream' and back to reality, "Cat's don't talk..."

Gatomon shook her head disbelievingly. This human was eccentric, to say the very least. Borderline crazy, even!

Slap, slap, slap.

"Stop doing that!" Gatomon shouted, irritation setting in. Instantly the tangle of covers – and presumably the girl beneath them – stopped moving altogether.

The duvet was flung back, Jayne's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she eyed up Gatomon.

"Whoareyouandwhatdoyouwant?"

Gatomon blinked. How was it even possible to talk that quickly?!

"I didn't catch a word of that..."

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Jayne repeated, deliberately over-enunciating.

"Gatomon. And I want to know where I am." She placed her paws on her hips with a frown.

Jayne's eyes narrowed even further, brazen enough now to come out from the covers and move closer to Gatomon, "I could ask you the same thing." She spoke in a low, sceptical tone.

Gatomon tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face, "That made no sense what-so-ever..."

"Like a fox."

"What're you talking about?"

"Like you don't know!"

"I haven't a clue!"

"That's what they all say!"

"Who?"

"Like you don't know!"

"ARGH!" Gatomon threw her arms in the air, unable to conceal her annoyance. Was this girl deliberately being pedantic? "Look," she started over in the hopes of actually getting somewhere, "I just want to know where I am so I can get the hell out of here, OK?"

Jayne frowned, sizing up the weird little cat before her, trying to reach a decision.

"OK." She said at last.

"Great!"

But silence ensued, the pair simply looking at one-another all the while, waiting expectantly for the other to speak.

"Well?" Gatomon tapped her foot impatiently.

"Well what?" Jayne demanded, looking totally confused.

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Oh, _that_... Well, you're in my room." She explained.

Gatomon sighed. This human sure did seem like a simpleton, "And where's your room?"

"In D block..."

Gatomon let out a frustrated sigh. Surely the girl couldn't be this dense? It just wasn't humanly possible, "Look, just tell me how to get back to Odaiba and I'll get out of your hair." She made it as simple as she could. There was no way the girl could get confused this time, unless she was on an intellectual par with root vegetables.

"Where's Odaiba?"

Gatomon sweat dropped, "You've never heard of Odaiba?"

Jayne shook her head, "Nope, never. Sounds exotic, though. Where is it?" She shuffled forwards on the bed, stopping once she was sitting right on the edge of it, opposite from where Gatomon was standing. Her legs dangled over the side, though not far enough to reach the floor, as her toes curled back and forth in fidget.

"Tokyo..." Gatomon spoke slowly, keeping a close eye on Jayne, reading for a reaction.

"Tokyo? Why, that's all the way over in Japan..." her fingers strummed her chin thoughtfully.

"We're not in Japan?" Gatomon raised an eyebrow curiously. That was definitely news to her – news which she wasn't quite sure she ought to believe.

"No, silly." Jayne giggled like it was some kind of a funny joke, "We're in the UK."

"UK?" It sounded familiar, Gatomon had to admit. Like something she'd heard Kari or one of the others talking about before. She felt as if she ought to know it, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Yeah, you know..." Jayne pointed to a globe on her desk which Gatomon hadn't noticed until now.

Jayne moved over to the desk, sitting herself down on the swivel chair as she picked up the multicoloured sphere and placed it closer to the edge. Gatomon watched for a moment, then leapt up onto the desk so she could get a closer look at. Jayne seemed taken aback by the comparatively huge leap, but soon let it pass.

"This is Tokyo." She turned the globe so that Japan was visible, indicating it with a finger. Gatomon nodded, recognising it instantly. She watched as Jayne slowly rotated the earth-replica counter-clockwise, her finger trailing across various other human countries, coming to stop over an oddly shaped bit of land called Europe.

"And this here," Jayne indicated a strangely wrought island just off the west coast of the mainland, "is the United Kingdom – the UK."

Gatomon realised that she couldn't even see Japan anymore from this part of the globe. It must've been almost half the world away.

"I'm a long way from home." She admitted with dismay, her ears and tail drooping.

"How did you get here anyway?" Jayne asked, sounding somewhat more genuine and curious than earlier on. She replaced the globe, now back where it had been at the rear edge of the desk.

"I don't know." Gatomon admitted, pacing the desktop slightly as her mind retraced the events of the day so far, "I was at the computer in TK's room, and-"

"My computer!" Jayne exclaimed suddenly, sliding across to her laptop. Gatomon jumped back a bit in surprise.

She watched as Jayne once more began pressing buttons, trying to get it going. But a dishevelled grunt indicated little success.

"When I get this fixed," Jayne mumbled under her breath, "Whoever made that Digimon Online thing is getting the bill, and a strongly worded letter of complaint."

"Digimon online?"Gatomon inquired.

"Yeah," Jayne nodded, then explained, "I found it on the internet, and I followed the instructions to adopt a Digimon pet thingy." She waved a hand towards the computer's screen in indication, "It broke my computer."

"Digimon online. Adopt a Digimon. I had no idea you could do that." Gatomon admitted. She'd been on the internet a couple of times on Kari's computer, but she'd never seen anything at all remotely related to Digimon, "How do you know about Digimon anyway?"

Jayne shrugged, "Iunno... Was a card game or something, wasn't it?" Jayne then realised the unintentional implication of Gatomon's words, "Wait, are _you_ a Digimon?"

Gatomon nodded.

"Oh," Jayne clicked her fingers, smiling lightly as if a grand mystery had finally revealed itself to her, "That explains it!"

"Explains what?" Gatomon was totally puzzled.

"Why you look so much like the one I adopted."

"You adopted a Gatomon?" Gatomon sounded a bit sceptical, her mind filled with doubts.

Jayne nodded in acknowledgement, "Yeah. I figured a cat would be cool. But it didn't work. The screen went weird, and my computer made strange noises, then everything went dark..."

Gatomon was startled. From the way Jayne was describing it, it sounded exactly like what'd happened to her. What if, instead of adopting a virtual Digimon, this website Jayne had mentioned had actually summoned a Digimon which already existed, bringing them here through the computer, almost like a Digiport?

Jayne's talking faded into the background noise as the realisation of how she'd possibly got here blossomed in Gatomon's head like a wildflower opening to greet the summer sun. If it could get her here, then maybe it could get her back too!

"Jayne!" Gatomon interrupted the still-talking girl, "How soon can you get your computer working?"

"Erm..." The girl was startled by the suddenness of the question, "Well, I know a couple of computer students who could look it over for me. Why?"

"Because we need to talk to whoever made that Digimon Online." She explained, "I think I may have a way to get home."

Jayne took this all on board, then smiled broadly.

"Neat!"

* * *

It's been a couple of days since the last update. Mostly because I've been jotting down my ideas on a pad of paper as they came to me, and then I've been fleshing them out here. The main plot's in place and ready to get going, but there's a couple of minor things I need to get sorted too.

It's falling into place.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. Let me know what you thought.

Thanks for reading!

NKC


	5. Chapter V

**Chapter V**

"Gatomon? Patamon?" Kari cooed as she peered her head around the door, surveying the familiar environs of TK's bedroom in the hopes of finding their partner Digimon there. Alas, no such luck.

TK and she had arrived at the apartment only a few moments before, sparing the time to explore the main living room and kitchen before moving on to check the bedroom. Expecting the cat and hamster to be in one of the three locations, Kari felt a slight air of panic rise in the pit of her stomach, numerous less than appealing scenarios running through her mind.

TK was also starting to worry a little. Patamon was still nowhere to be seen, and now it seemed that Gatomon had evaded them as well. And, just to top things off, when they then tried to use their D3's to find their partners, all they were greeted with was blank screens. There was no sign of them anywhere.

"Where could they be?" Kari asked, putting voice to her worries.

TK placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder from behind, giving a gentle squeeze, knowing she'd taken comfort in it the moment her own hand moved up to touch his. She didn't turn back to look at him, however, her eyes still looking around in the hope of finding some sort of clue.

"Don't worry," he spoke softly, hoping to cheer her up, "We'll find them. They're probably just out and about somewhere."

Kari shook her head, finally looking back over her shoulder to him, "I doubt it, TK. Gatomon knew we were coming here. And our D3's can't seem to locate them at all."

The male Digidestined looked thoughtful for a moment, then took out his Digivice and scrutinised the small screen, "Maybe they're broken?" he wondered aloud.

Again, Kari shook her head, this time turning to face him, "Both of them? At the same time? I doubt it..." A small, depressed sigh escaped her lips.

TK, meanwhile, was now shaking his D3 close to his ear, trying to see if it _sounded_ broken. Maybe a loose connection, or a broken circuit board was to blame? Not that he could do anything about it, anyway. And even if Kari was right – it did seem highly unlikely for them to both break at the exact same time – then at least he'd be able to put her mind at ease a little bit.

But there was nothing.

"How do we track them if we can't locate them on the D3?" TK thought out loud. It wasn't at all like Patamon and Gatomon to run off without telling either of their partners. It just wasn't the sort of thing the pair ever did.

"I don't know."

Concern and frustration were starting to set in. The helplessness was a feeling Kari hated with a passion. They had no clues, no leads, nothing. No way of knowing where the Digimon pair was, or how they were doing.

TK could read the worry in Kari's expression, "Hey," he spoke softly with a gentle smile of reassurance, "Don't worry about it. They'll be fine, I know it. Gatomon's a tough kitty, and-"

"TK," Kari interrupted him, "I appreciate what you're trying to do. I really do. But we have no idea where they are, what they're doing, or if they're even together." She threw her arms into the air, venting, "We have no way to tell if they're dead or alive."

The pain in her eyes was all too clear. TK knew it was her nature to worry about others, especially those closest to her heart such as Gatomon and Patamon. She was just that kind of person when it came to her dearest friends.

He gently wrapped his arms around her, drawing the brown eyed girl into a tender hug. He felt her place her arms around him in return, and squeeze back. He could feel her head rest on his shoulder, her every breath dancing across the exposed skin of his neck. A warm, wet drip trickled onto it, and he knew she was crying. She didn't whimper, or cry out. She simply let her tears carry away the frustration and anxiety.

TK turned his head towards her a little, his lips placing a soft kiss against her delicate hair.

"Don't worry, Kari. We'll figure it out." He whispered into her ear tentatively, reassuring himself as much as her, "But I know they're alright... Wherever they are."

Kari lifted her head up, looking into his eyes. Those cerulean depths sparkled with the hope that Kari knew permeated even the deepest, darkest corners of TK's being. A moment of soul-searching on her part told her instantly how he knew the two Digimon were alright. Her own heart told her as much, and she knew TK felt the same thing.

Her own eyes, though still watery, began to smile, and both Kari and TK felt their spirits lighten significantly.

"Thanks, TK."

They always had been able to convey so much to one-another without resorting to mere words.

"Any time." He beamed back, the pair slowly letting each other go.

Kari reached down to her beltline, grasping her D3 and sliding it off. Picking it up, she checked the screen one more time, just in case. It still looked dull and lifeless, as if turned off.

"Hey, I have an idea!" TK declared.

Kari looked up to him, replacing the device back on her belt.

"Let's go see Izzy." He suggested, "If there _is _something wrong with our Digivices, I bet he'll get to the bottom of it."

Kari nodded, "I think that's a great idea."

TK was already dialling Izzy's number into his phone before she'd even finished speaking, giving Kari time to pick up her bag from the living room sofa.

"Hey, Izzy?" she listened in on TK as she ensured all her essentials were present and correct, "You busy? Kari and I need to see you about something."

* * *

Gatomon watched the scene before her unfold with interest. Jayne was stood in the doorway, blocking the outside hall from view. But the feline Digimon's sensitive nose could quite clearly make out the scent of a male human – with a definite undertone of nachos lingering in the air. From what she gathered, it was the same young gentleman who'd come to pick up the small laptop barely an hour before.

Jayne had explained that he was the brother of one of her friends, and he owed her a favour. Her praise of his computer related abilities had seemed exaggerated at the time, Gatomon putting it down to friendly bias. But clearly, he had some impressive skills.

Her suspicions about his identity were confirmed when Gatomon began to listen in on the conversation.

"And your computer should be working fine now. All it needed was a little TLC."

"Thanks Martin, I owe you one." Jayne smiled warmly as the young – well, technically older – gentleman handed back her computer, "I owe you one."

"Nah." He waved it off with a smile, "Now we're even."

Jayne nodded, beaming, "Thanks again!" then shut the door before he could reply.

Gatomon hopped out from her vantage point, following Jayne over to her desk as she placed her laptop down and turned it on. To both their delight the familiar electronic buzz of life resounded from the previously lifeless machine. In no time at all they were logged in.

"Wow, he's good." Jayne marvelled, "It's even running quicker than I remember!"

"Seems everybody knows their own computer genius." Gatomon mused, jumping up to sit on the edge of the desk, letting her feet dangle. Far more comfortable than craning her neck from floor-level, she decided undoubtedly.

"Oh?" Jayne asked, though not taking her gaze off the screen for an instant as she got the computer set up for the task ahead.

"Yeah," Gatomon nodded, even though Jayne wasn't looking in her direction, "We have our own Einstein back home."

Home. Where Kari was. She must've been getting worried by now. Even though Gatomon knew it wasn't her fault, she couldn't help but feel a little guilt. She tried to shrug it off as irrational, but it clung to the back of her mind like a leech.

"Here we go!" Jayne declared, shaking Gatomon from her reverie, revealing a website decorated colourfully with Digimon of all shapes and sizes. "So what are we looking for?"

"Contact details." Gatomon tapped at the screen with one of her long, black claws, indicating the "about" option on the site's menu.

Jayne dutifully clicked it, an in-depth technical spec for the site popping up, explaining the basic ideas behind the site and its purpose.

"Version 1.53, Copyright..." she mumbled, reading it out loud, "...Digimon trademark... Code copyright... For more details, please contact-"

"That's it!" Gatomon pointed with vigour, "That's the address we want!"

Opening up a new tab in her browser, Jayne logged into her email and began to compose the message to be sent. She made sure to mention everything she'd done when she'd visited the site earlier, and hinted somewhat vaguely that things had gone a little bit awry. She didn't want to actually mention that Gatomon had appeared – something which Gatomon agreed to – because she really didn't think anyone would believe her. She felt no desire to spend the rest of her life locked away for insanity. But she did mention that she'd need help from the actual site programmer to set the problem straight.

She then left her contact details at the bottom, including her mobile phone number for a more in-depth discussion than email would allow.

"How does that look to you?" she asked Gatomon, reclining in her chair a little as the Digimon read over the document.

The message seemed to contain all the relevant information, so Gatomon gave it her seal of approval.

"Alright, and..." Jayne clicked a couple of times, "Send!"

And it was gone.

"Now what?" she asked the feline.

"Now we sit and wait for him to contact us." Gatomon explained, "Or rather, contact you."

"I _know_ that." Jayne rolled her eyes, "I mean, what do _you_ want to do?"

Gatomon's jaw dropped open as she was about to speak, but it promptly shut again as a quizzical expression dressed her features. She didn't know anything about this place. But, being a cat, she didn't want to stay cooped up indoors either, simply waiting around for a reply to Jayne's enquiries that could take hours to arrive. She wanted to get out and explore a little. And Jayne, being a local, would be the perfect tour guide.

Gatomon was about to open her mouth to speak again, when a loud growl interrupted her thoughts. Jayne heard it too. They both looked down at Gatomon's stomach.

"Sounds to me like you're hungry." Jayne pointed out with a slight smirk.

Gatomon looked back at her sheepishly, "Yeah. You don't happen to have any food, do you?"

"Sure," Jayne rose to her feet, heading for the door. She seemed to pause the instant her hand touched the handle, and she turned back to look at the Egyptian kitten, who was still perched on the edge of the desk, legs dangling idly over the side, "What do Digimon eat anyway?"

Gatomon smiled knowingly and leapt down to the floor.

_I guess I'll get to do that exploring after all._

* * *

Izzy held a white and green Digivice in his hand, analysing the small piece of electronic equipment in grave detail, turning it this way and that in the hopes of garnering some additional knowledge beyond that which was apparent.

"And they just stopped working?" Izzy asked, tapping the screen lightly.

TK gave Kari, standing by his side, an edgeways glance, "Erm, yeah... As far as we can tell."

"Intriguing." Was Izzy's short response before he became engrossed once more.

They could hear the small device emit a stern beep with each button he pressed experimentally, almost as if it were shouting out in protest to the rude incursion into its privacy.

"It seems to be working fine."

Kari looked confused and unbelieving, "Fine? But... The screens were blank."

Stepping closer, Izzy presented the D3 to the pair, pressing a couple of the buttons as he did so. To their surprise, there was a little red dot on the screen, blinking strongly.

"I don't understand..." TK admitted, scratching his head in puzzlement.

"It's quite simple really." Izzy explained, "The little red dot is Tentomon. In the detect setting, the D3 projects a digital reso-"

"No, no." TK interrupted, raising a hand to slow his friend down, "I mean, I don't understand why it's working now when it wouldn't before. How did you fix it?"

Izzy handed the Digivice back to its owner, TK gladly accepting, "From what I can garner, it was never broken to begin with."

"But Izzy..." Kari asked with a frown, "How can that be possible? Neither of our Digivices picked up Patamon or Gatomon."

"Perhaps they were simply out of range?" Izzy offered thoughtfully.

"I thought these things had a five mile radius of detection?" TK was most definitely mystified. And from the looks of things, so was Kari. And now, if even Izzy couldn't figure out what was going with the Digivices, there would be little chance of them locating their partners, making the search effort much harder than it would have been.

The thought made TK's heart sink, and he could tell by the look in Kari's eyes that she knew the implications as well as he did.

"I do have a theory." Izzy interjected, causing both of them to look at him.

"We thought you may." TK said drily, barely daring to hope.

"It seems only logical," Izzy raised a finger as he began to pace back and forth across the floor, seemingly tracing a creaky floorboard which voiced it's loud protests with his every step, "Given that your D3's are in fact not broken, that Patamon and Gatomon are simply out of range. Hence, we cannot detect them."

"That's logical enough..." TK thought aloud.

"But how is that even possible?" Kari protested, "We followed Gatomon to TK's flat. We can't have been more than five minutes behind her, tops. Gatomon's fast, but she's not supersonic!"

"Actually, to cover five miles in as many minutes, one must run at twenty-six point eight two two four metres per second, or sixty miles per-"

"Not the point, Izzy!" Kari snapped, exasperated. TK placed his hand around her shoulder reassuringly, instantly feeling the tension in her shoulders fall away.

"Sorry." Izzy responded with gentle sympathy, knowing that he'd let his mind run away with him again, as usual, "Where was I?"

TK, arm still around Kari, nodded, "Your theory."

"Ah, yes." Izzy resumed his pacing, much to the floorboard's irritation, "As a great man once said, 'when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, _however improbable_, must be the truth.' My theory, given this new data, is that Gatomon and Patamon are no longer in this particular area Tokyo."

Whilst it was sometimes the hardest of tasks to keep pace with Izzy's train of thought, it seemed a fairly plausible and obvious explanation to TK's mind. But even so, it seemed so unlikely that it could be true that he found no way to rationalise it.

"Where did they go, then?" Kari, without realising it, managed to put words to his thoughts.

"I don't know." Izzy admitted, much to Kari's dismay, "However," he began afresh, "I do know how we can find out."

Turning away from the duo without offering further explanation, Izzy was soon placed on a comfy-looking office chair in front of his laptop. Kari smiled when she noticed the familiar yellow computer, nostalgia running rife through her mind. Knowing Izzy, it was probably upgraded beyond all recognition of the original. But the computer whizz had clearly kept the 'body' for its sentimental value.

Upon closer inspection, Kari noticed that her pink and white D3 was snugly resting in the Digivice docking port just above the keyboard. As Izzy began typing away at the keys, she noted as the small device flickered a couple of times, falling into pace with the laptop's green processor light.

"I've linked your D3 up to my computer," Izzy explained, now filling out a series of prompt boxes, "By boosting the gain on the D3's detection modulation, I can supplant the standard drive frequency with a wider range of periods. By then invoking the apt value from the range, it should be possible to take advantage of the resonant frequency of the detection grid, thus boosting the signal to take account of the much larger distances - provided that the system dampening isn't too severe, of course. Then, by cross referencing that information with the D3's own memory, I should be able to deduct a vector of departure from their prior locations..."

The blank looks on both TK's and Kari's faces told Izzy that he'd gone a bit overboard.

He sighed, "I can find them."

"Oh." TK and Kari both returned to smiles.

"Wasn't that easier to say?" Kari asked with a slight chuckle.

"Not really." Izzy folded his arms across his chest. A series of shrill beeps drew them all back to the computer, which had thrown up several dialogue boxes and pop-up windows, "Intriguing..."

"What is it?" TK asked urgently, stepping up to look over Izzy's shoulder at the little monitor.

"If I'm interpreting this correctly, Patamon and Gatomon aren't in the Digital world at all, as I first suspected." Izzy pointed at his screen, then began to type feverishly, rearranging the presented data before either of his companions could fully take any of it in.

"So they're still here somewhere?" Kari asked hopefully.

"Not exactly..." Izzy quickly finished off, tapping the enter key with deliberate finality.

Watching the screen intently, Kari observed an atlas of the Earth flatten out and rotate until it was almost horizontal. A second globe of an entirely different, albeit familiar world, repeated the process, coming to rest beneath the first one. This second one was much larger in area when it came to a rest.

Kari recognised it well, "The Digital World." She whispered.

As the trio watched closely, a couple of other worlds did the same, coming to rest in a varied sortie all across the screen.

"As you two know," Izzy started to explain once the display was static, "There are several worlds which run parallel to both this one and the Digital world." He indicated a couple of the flattened out worlds with the cursor.

Kari nodded knowingly, fully recalling time spent both in the realm of the Dark Ocean and the strange plane of being where dreams could become reality. Memories, fond and feared, resurfaced in her mind.

"Well," Izzy continued, looking at Kari, "If what your D3's detection grid is telling me about Gatomon's whereabouts is true, then she's somehow managed to reach one of these other worlds."

"Which one?" TK asked, puzzled to the extreme.

"Can we get her back?" Kari added.

"Well..." Izzy pondered for a moment, scratching his cheek pensively, "That's the thing. To do that, we'd need to figure out how they both got there in the first place. There must be some kind of a link for them both; a common event..."

There was a moment of thoughtful silence.

"Do you know where they were when they went missing?" Izzy offered.

"Well, Patamon was in my room when I last saw him..." TK recalled, hoping it would help.

"And we last saw Gatomon in the park." Kari reflected, "Although, she was on her way to TK's place..."

Izzy took all this on board. With urgency, he began folding away his laptop, placing it in a backpack and rising to his feet, "Seems we have our common link." He placed the backpack over his shoulder, "TK, I need to see your room."

"Why Izzy," His eyes took on a wistful gaze, "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

Thank you all for your reviews to date, they've been very helpful to me. So keep them coming!

And not to worry about the seemingly unrelated scenes. They're all relevant to the story in some way, so keep them in mind.

Also, I've created a simple website to show a little bit of detail (and pictures) of the characters in my story. The link is in my bio.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next one will be along soon. Don't forget to review, and thanks for reading!

NKC


	6. Chapter VI

**Chapter VI**

It was dark, oppressive black clouds heavy with rain having long since blotted out the full moon and stars. Torrential rain thundered heavily against the ground, turning churned up earth into a muddy quagmire. The cold night air gnarled at the delicate white petals which decorated Lilamon's hands and feet.

She openly welcomed the rain, and the sustaining earthen mud which oozed around her feet. They were welcome friends, nourishing her, revitalising her, caring for her growth as Mother Earth did each and every one of her frail flowers.

But the cold; that was not welcome. It was uncomfortable, embittering, and downright painful.

Sometimes, she just prayed for the dawn.

Millimon, on the other hand, seemed quite at home in the cold darkness. From Lilamon's point of view, that was unnatural; a vile abomination to the order of the world as she saw it. Perhaps just one of the many reasons she hated the Dark Warrior so.

Well, that and the favour their Lord always seemed to show the pale demon. He was also a creature of the darkness; a being of shadows and gloom. Lilamon, on the other hand, saw herself as a bright, colourful sprite of the daylight hours, and above all else, beautiful.

So she had to work twice as hard to gain Darkdramon's approval.

Or so she thought.

A shiver of cold traversed her spine, though she tried to hide it. She just couldn't steel herself against the bitter onslaught, no matter how hard she tried. It was starting to make her cranky. At least, until something bright amongst the captives below caught her eye.

"You there!" she called angrily to a group of Gotsumon as they attempted to round up one of the opposing Meramon for processing, "Bring him to me."

It took some work from the rocky rookies, the Meramon struggling viciously to escape. Unfortunately for him, the combination of the Gotsumons' thick hide, and the heavy, obtrusive downpour had severely weakened him, rendering his efforts utterly futile.

Lilamon could feel the biting cold vanish as this living flame drew closer, lightening her mood significantly, "Leave him with me." She ordered the little rock monsters, who nodded respectfully before handing her the metal chain which held the fiery beast, and moving on to the next Mon for processing.

The Meramon continued to struggle against his chained hands and feet, hoping to break them. But his flame wouldn't burn hot enough to warp the metal in these weather conditions.

"Now now," Lilamon spoke with a playful tone and a pleasant smile, "We'll have less of that. You're going to be with us for quite some time, so you may as well get used to it." She could feel the welcome warmth as it radiated against her. Not quite as nice as the morning sun, but a pretty decent alternative as long as she didn't get too close to the living flame.

"Release me!" He demanded heatedly, trying to pull the chain by which she held him free from her grasp.

But Lilamon stood firm, the ultimate more than a match for this mere champion, "Oh, I do love a Mon with fire in his belly." She teased.

The combined expressions of fear and defiance made for an interesting display as they each danced through his eyes, "What are you going to do with me?" his future looked none too promising.

Lilamon smiled broadly. This time, it was neither pleasant nor friendly, "Oh, you'll be processed. Recruited if we can, used for data if needs must. But, if you're a good little boy, then I may keep you as my personal play thing." She winked, pulling her own little heating flame along behind her, leading him towards shelter from the rain.

Meramon couldn't help but wonder what he'd gotten himself into.

"You know," Came a high-pitched male voice from behind, "You really shouldn't take the Dark Lord's slaves like that. He won't like it."

Lilamon rolled her eyes, keeping her hold on the Meramon's restraints as she turned around. Without even looking, she recognised who it was.

"When I want your opinion, Coronamon, I'll give it to you." She sneered at the little fire lion as he laid perched sideways on a small mound of rubble, no doubt formerly somebody's dwellings. The small rookie, though a fire type, seemed totally unfazed by the current torrential downpour.

He raised his hands in mock surrender, flashing her a cheeky grin, "Hey, I'm just saying. You know he doesn't like people stealing his slaves."

Lilamon's expression was one of mild annoyance, as she stomped over to where he lay. Normally, when standing, Coronamon wouldn't be tall enough to reach much past the height of her stomach. But from his vantage point, he was almost at eye level if he stood.

The flower fairy balled a fist, snarling as she wielded it menacingly in front of Coronamon's face, "Lord Darkdramon doesn't need to know," she spoke through clenched teeth, knowing the devious little swine had something planned, "And you're not going to tell him, are you?"

It was more of a threat than a question. But, for his part, Coronamon shrugged it off. He rose to his feet, now eye to eye with her, "Now what incentive could I possibly have to not tell our Master that one of his Lieutenants is keeping his prisoners of war for herself?"

Cold fury burned in Lilamon's eyes, deep and bitter. She didn't like being gotten the better of by anybody, let alone this little twerp. To make things worse, the smile on Coronamon's face let her know he was gloating in silence at her expense.

"What do you want?" she demanded at last, after a moment in thought.

"You _know_ what I want." His expression serious now.

Lilamon scoffed loudly, "Ha! As if I'd do you that favour!"

"Hey, it's your loss." Coronamon shrugged dismissively, turning to leave.

"...Wait." she called, stopping him in his tracks. As much as she hated the little menace, she relished the idea of being deleted even less.

"That's more like it!" Coronamon beamed, leaping down to ground level, the flame at the tip of his tail burning all the brighter to match his high spirits.

Suddenly, quicker than his eyes could see, Lilamon moved forwards, the petals of her left hand closing tightly around his throat, restricting his breathing. The sheer force of the grab had pinned Coronamon firmly back against the heap of fallen masonry. He didn't even have time to blink before Lilamon brought her right hand to bear, the petals spreading. The tingle of energy could be clearly felt in the small distance between her deceptively delicate looking petals and the small rookie's face.

Looking along the length of his assailant's arm, the defenceless being could see pure hatred teeming in Lilamon's eyes.

Meramon, all the while watching the two, only now realised that Lilamon had relinquished her grip on his restraints. Not wasting a moment, he turned and ran away from the pair as fast as his legs would carry him.

He didn't think either of the evil Digimon had noticed him.

"You know," Lilamon spoke low and evenly, her fierce gaze locked into Coronamon's eyes, "I could delete you quite easily with just two words..."

Without warning, and without looking, she swung her right arm around so that it was facing back in the direction of Meramon. The air sizzled and crackled for a moment, before an intense ball of energy erupted from Lilamon's hand. It closed the distance unimaginably fast, impacting Meramon square in the back, causing the defenceless champion to cry out in pain. The force knocked him clean over, somehow leaving the usually flaming Digimon smouldering slowly in a pool of cold rain-water.

He didn't get up.

Lilamon brought her hand back to within inches of Coronamon's snout, the all too familiar tingle of energy returning, "Perhaps no words at all." She smiled viciously.

Coronamon swallowed hard.

"Unhand him, Lilamon." Came the unquestionable voice of their Lord.

With a sneer, she tossed Coronamon to one side, the cub-like lion landing on his face, "Yes Master."

Coronamon picked himself out of the mud pie with which he'd just been recently acquainted. How he loathed mud.

"Are the captives ready for my inspection?" the imposing Mega asked, his tone as indifferent as ever.

"Yes Sir." Lilamon held herself stiffly upright, "Ready and waiting."

"Take me to them."

* * *

"Right, that's it!" Graeme declared.

Patamon, head lodged firmly in a book entitled "Quantum Physics for Dummies," turned to regard the human boy. Aside from the sporadic flurry of typing and clicking, Patamon had almost forgotten that Graeme was there.

"Found something?" Patamon asked hopefully.

"No." Graeme flopped back in his chair, "I have no idea what's gone on."

Patamon's ears drooped.

"Unless..." Graeme sat up slowly, seemingly getting lost in his thoughts. He was instantly typing furiously at the keyboard.

Patamon's curiosity got the better of him, and he took to the air, hovering just over Graeme's shoulder so that he had a clear view of the screen, "Unless what?"

For a moment, Patamon thought Graeme hadn't heard him. But the preoccupation with the job at hand quickly passed, and he explained his suspicions, "I can't find anything in my code which would explain your being here."

"Oh..."

"But," Graeme turned to regard the orange and white Digimon, "you are here, right?"

"As far as I can tell..." Patamon blinked.

"So," the student-programmer continued, "If the error isn't in my code, then it must be elsewhere. My best guess is that the inherent nature of the Agents' interaction within the predefined boundary of my initial programming has given rise to some unanticipated free radicals, in terms of procedural errors, of course."

"Um..." Patamon was dumbfounded.

"Look," Graeme highlighted some code on the screen, "The AI in _this_ background 'environment' talks to _this _AI here," he pointed, "which represents the base-code for a Digimon. Somehow – and I'm not sure how yet – I think between them they've managed to work together and bring you here, rather than interacting to create a new virtual pet."

"So..." Patamon rubbed his chin, "You were outsmarted by your own computer?"

"In a manner of speaking..." Graeme sighed heavily, "Yes."

"Ok. So, how do I get back?"

"I don't know yet." Graeme admitted, "But, since we now know what probably caused it, we're one step closer to finding out a way."

Patamon's heart lifted. Even if they were only one tiny step closer to finding his way home, it felt like a million miles to him. TK, Gatomon and all his friends were closer to him now than they had been a few hours ago when he'd first arrived.

"So where do we go from here?" He asked, eager to keep pushing forwards.

"Now, I get online and see if I can get some help from an online friend."

He was hoping, in fact, to get in contact with one of his lecturers. Several of them were experts in different areas of computing, be it in the area of applications, or the raw programming itself. And it just so happened that one of them was one of the minds at the forefront of current AI technology and theory. If Grae could get even a little insight on this from an expert then it could well make the task at hand a lot simpler.

Now, if only he were online...

With a sharp ping, the computer declared that it'd found its network connection. Another few seconds passed, and an e-mail alert popped up.

"Mail?" Graeme thought out loud, "I wonder..?"

In all honesty, he half expected it to be the usual spam. But a quick look at the email address made it seem genuine. And, as he read on, his face dropped.

"Uh-oh..."

"What now?"

"We have a problem."

* * *

Darkdramon paced back and forth before the large gaggle of cowering Digimon, his foul gaze surveying the pitiful collection of rookies and champions, the very ground beneath his feet seemingly quaking with his heavy, deliberate step. His war against them had been long in the making, having proven swift and brutal to the point of slaughter when it did finally come. Such was the carnage that the mere handful of ultimates - which had formerly guarded the now ruined town - had faltered and fallen with the first few waves of the assault.

Those that remained were the small, the weak and the sickly.

For far too long these pitiful excuses for Digimon had plagued his borders, thinking they could come and go as they pleased, free from any consequence to their actions.

He would have no more of it.

"Your armies have fallen, Digimon of the East Sector." His voice boomed loudly, clear and unmistakable. The sullen crowd was silent, "Your lives are no longer your own. You belong to me. Your choices are simple; serve me, or die."

A hushed and frightened whisper washed through the crowd like a bitter wave, laden with fear and uncertainty. They were left with little choice. Darkdramon's forces, headed by his four Lieutenants – Millimon, Lilamon, Mikemon and Coronamon – had them surrounded on all sides.

"Serve me, or die." He repeated more forcefully.

There was a moment of silence, before a defiant cry cut through the air, "We will never serve you!"

It was a cocky little Falcomon, he came to realise, close to the front of the crowd, clearly oblivious to the mortal danger he was currently in.

Darkdramon's expressionless gaze was locked on the Wind Guardian Digimon. He simply lifted his claw into the air, clicking his wrought-iron-like claws together, making a sound akin to a steel bar rendered against a metal surface. The shudder which passed through the crowd was clearly visible, the distressing sound thick and piercing.

It was Millimon who responded – the nearest of his close servants – dwarfed by the massive Dragon as she stepped up next to him, remaining in his shadow.

"Yes, my liege?" she bowed respectfully.

"Deal with him."

Bowing a second time, acknowledging the order, Millimon advanced on the crowd. To the captive Digimon's credit, they parted like a tide, making way for the dark ultimate. Her scythe was held high, the razor sharp blade somehow glistening in spite of the clouded skies and heavy rain.

She came to a stop in front of the much smaller bird Digimon, the only one foolish enough to not move out of the way as she advanced. The rest of the crowd dared not stand too close, leaving the two standing in the middle of a large circular clearing of mud.

"I suppose you're here to force me to submit?" the brazen falcon scoffed, seemingly unimpressed.

"No," Millimon spoke softly; unnervingly quiet in both tone and demeanour. Her silvery wings stretched out behind her as she shifted her weight onto her leading foot. Before Falcomon could utter another word, she swung her oversized scythe above her head, bringing it down on the unprepared rookie.

There was no cry of pain, no scream of anguish. As metal met flesh, the bird monster simply exploded into data, ceasing to be.

The crowd gasped in horror. Millimon returned her weapon to its upright position, turning to head back towards her Master. The captive's parted much more quickly this time, stumbling over one-another to get out of the way.

Millimon bowed her head to the Dark Lord, retaking her place behind him.

"Serve me," Darkdramon repeated once more, "Or die."

* * *

_Deedly-deet, deedly-deet, deedly-deet deet-deet._

The loud phone's intrusion into what had been a tranquil silence caused both Jayne and Gatomon to jump in surprise. It took a moment or two for Jayne to gather her wits enough to realise what was going on.

"Oh!" She started tapping her pockets, trying to feel for her mobile, "I'll get it!"

"It's in your bag..." Gatomon reminded, returning to her food, shrugging off the disturbance.

The pair had ventured out for something to eat an hour or so ago, eventually stumbling across what Jayne had referred to as "The Square."

Located somewhere within what the human girl had explained was a university campus – and a relatively small one at that – The Square was the place where most of the important facilities could be found. Food shop, book shop, bank, ATMs, library, Student's Union, nightclub... It had been a hub of activity.

Jayne had been forced to pass Gatomon off as her pet cat, a role to which Gatomon had become accustomed to during her time with Kari. Inside the shop there had been a few objections to the live "animal," but it had passed quickly enough, Gatomon pretending to be injured in some way so Jayne could pass it off as a necessity to keep her nearby. The two emerged a little later with a carrier bag of food, and made their way to a more secluded area of the campus known as Sneyd Hall.

It was shaping up to be a pleasant evening, so the pair opted to sit on the well kept grass, a little way over from the tree-line of a small wooded area and a small lake, the tall sandstone building standing between them and the majority of the campus.

Somehow, Jayne had managed to coerce Gatomon into trying something which she called a pasty, claiming, "It's the food of kings! Well, miners at the least..."

To Gatomon's relief, it turned out to be mostly beef and pastry. The peppery delight tasted surprisingly nice. Very deceptive, given how bland it looked from the outside.

"Y-ellow?" Jayne greeted as she answered her phone, "Jayne Woodward speaking. Who is this?"

Gatomon's ears twitched a little as she listened in to the conversation.

"_Um... Hi." _It was definitely a male voice, _"Is this the Jayne who emailed about a problem with Digimon Online?"_

That definitely sounded promising.

"Oh, yes!" Jayne declared, "That's me! Are you the webmaster?"

"_Graeme Hebdon."_ He introduced, _"So... What's the problem?"_

Jayne looked down to Gatomon, the feline looking back up at her, though still munching on the soft pastry in her hands, "Let's just say it's pretty unusual."

"_Unusual? How?"_

"Well..." where to begin? "It's small, round, white and fuzzy."

"Hey!" Gatomon protested, "I'm not round!"

Although she had to concede white and fuzzy.

Jayne put a finger to her lips, urging Gatomon to remain silent. The Digi-cat grumbled under her breath, about to take another bite from her pasty. But she caught herself part-way, pausing before tossing the half-eaten meal over into some bushes. She suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore.

Graeme, on the other end of the phone, heard the brief exchange, _"Ah."_

"Ah." Jayne nodded knowingly.

"_I think we'd better meet up." _He suggested, _"Sounds like we need to talk."_

"No shit Sherlock." Jayne rolled her eyes.

"_Where do you live?"_

Jayne began to reel off directions to where she and Gatomon were. With a little help, Gatomon hoped, this would all soon be over.

Her stomach growled, interrupting her thoughts. "Shaddap. Unless you want to be 'round'."

Another growl of protest, and Gatomon gave a knowing look, patting her stomach with her claws, "I know, I know..."

She wondered if the pasty was still around.

* * *

Bludgeoning the muddled group of confused and frightened Digimon refugees had proven easier than Darkdramon had expected, his Lieutenants and their armies making swift work of returning them to his castle for further processing. The captives would be dealt with, each assigned a role according to tasks they were deemed suited to. Those too weak to perform the duties given them would simply be eliminated, their code recycled to make those who were left stronger.

Weakness was a thing to be weeded out and eradicated, before it had the chance to ferment into something which could hinder his plans for the Digital World. And once all of his plans here were complete, he could move on to bigger things.

For some time now – what seemed like an eternity, to be honest – the Dark Lord had felt something in the deep recesses of his dark and pitiless soul. It was a connection of some kind, to a place beyond this world's seemingly fictitious boundaries.

Without knowing how or why, he'd become aware of this... this 'new place' a very long time ago. And it drew him towards it, beckoning like a dancing flame to a moth. It called out to him, to his soul. He knew, from those early moments, that he had to somehow find his way there, to fulfil what felt like a greater purpose than any conquest in the Digital World could ever possibly provide for him.

And so his search had led him to this castle, drawing him in towards all the mysteries it contained. To his reserved delight, he'd stumbled upon a gate within the deepest confines of the dark, dank 

fortification from ancient times. And, as days turned to months, and months into years, he'd learned of its true significance; a gate to another dimension, a gateway to great things.

A gateway to a place he now called Earth.

And it awaited him. And it called to him still. Someday soon, when both he and his armies were ready, he would answer the call. And then, it would be his.

Reality awaited.

* * *

End of chapter six. Seven will be along in a week or so. I know I've slowed down somewhat, but that's life. There are a couple other projects I'm getting up and running at the same time, so I'm making sure my work is thorough before I submit.

Let me know what you think of that chapter. I hope the plot isn't moving too slowly, nor too fragmented. It all links, as later chapters will reveal.

Thanks for reading!  
NKC


	7. Chapter VII

**Chapter VII**

The throne of skulls dominated the very centre of the near-pitch cavern, ominous amidst the gloom. It faced the large cast-iron doors which sealed the chamber off from the rest of the castle, as if watching, waiting for something to happen.

Behind the throne, there was another set of large doors, these ones seemingly carved into the very rock of the castle's foundations. To the uneducated eye, they looked little more than an ancient rendering, etched carefully into the volcanic stone surface in mirror of the iron-clad entrance opposite. But for Darkdramon, they were so much more... A gateway between worlds.

Under normal circumstances, this place marked the solitude kept by the Dark Lord himself, never to be intruded upon without good reason or fear of death. But tonight, the shadows and murk had company besides their lone demon master.

Each of his four lieutenants, as unalike and dissimilar as it is possible for Digimon to be, were lined up before their Master, respectfully posed and silent.

It was well known that he would never summon them all to his chamber unless it were of the utmost importance. And, as soon as the summons had come, the four had assembled. You simply do not make the Dark Lord wait. Not if you valued your existence.

The usual rumours had immediately spread, of course, moving through the castle and all of Darkdramon's minions like wildfire. Nobody knew what this assembly meant. But they knew it would be big.

The fairy, the lion, the cat and the vampiress each stood there in attentive, reverential silence.

"My servants," their Lord began, cold and unmoving, "you have served me well in this war against the Digital world. We now lay claim to almost a quarter of its lands. But we have moved too slowly in our endeavours."

The four before him exchanged uneasy glances.

Darkdramon continued, "Up until this point in time, not one of you has borne witness to the true scale of my plans."

"You wish to rule _all _of the Digital World, Master?" Coronamon spoke up uncertainly, trying to figure out what the dark Mega meant.

"Silence!" the cry was deafeningly fierce, and not one of the four failed to wince, "My plans for this dimension are irrelevant. They are but a means to an end. My armies mass, and a new objective – the true objective – moves into focus."

It was Millimon who stepped forwards, arms spread out wide, her head bowed submissively as a sign of respect, "My liege, of which realm do you speak?"

An odd expression, one seemingly out of place on the Dark Lord Darkdramon's face - one which his minions had never before encountered on their master – spread slowly and maliciously across his lips. It was wholly unnatural and unnerving in the extreme for each of the Digimon present.

The Demon Lord was grinning.

"The other – the human - realm."

* * *

Graeme carefully replaced the receiver on his phone, leaning back against his chair, head lolling back over the top of the backrest. Closing his eyes, he gently caressed the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply. It seemed his problems were only getting worse.

"So what did they want?" came the high-pitched squeak of Patamon from behind him.

Pushing listlessly off the desk, Graeme swung around on his swivel chair, facing the bed on the other side of his room and the orange and cream Digimon which occupied its covers.

"I was right." Graeme leaned forwards with his elbows on his knees, resting his chin on his hands, "Somebody else adopted a Digimon."

Patamon seemed to absorb this for a moment, "Another one's come through?"

Graeme nodded, "'Small, round, white and fluffy' apparently."

"Sounds like a YukimiBotamon." Patamon rubbed his chin thoughtfully, imagining the little fresh Digimon bounding along by a human roadside, cars speeding past.

Graeme shook his head, "I didn't program anything lower than Rookie into the site."

"Mojyamon?" Patamon suggested.

"Too big."

"Keimon?"

"Never heard of it."

"...SnowPatamon?"

"OK, now you're just making them up." Graeme accused with a light-hearted chuckle.

"It was worth a shot." Patamon grinned.

"Yeah, I guess..." Graeme lifted himself heavily from the office chair in which he sat, taking a moment to stretch, his hands clasping behind his head as his joints gave an overly loud crack.

Patamon winced.

"I think our best bet," Graeme let his arms flop free, "Is to go and actually _see_ for ourselves."

"You may have a point there." Patamon conceded, hopping over to the door expectantly.

"Woah, woah, woah." Graeme stopped him, causing the little orange and cream Digimon to look back over his shoulder, "We can't have you wandering around out in the open. Somebody'll see you."

Patamon frowned, "Well," he huffed, "what do you suggest?"

Graeme's fingers strummed his chin lightly in thought as he looked around his confined room, hoping for some inspiration, or perhaps an epiphany of some description. Patamon watched him curiously, following his gaze as it came at last to rest upon a medium-sized duffel bag.

"Hmmm, I wonder..." Graeme thought aloud.

"No! Oh no!" Patamon leapt for the door.

* * *

"So, what's the point of this again?" Coronamon asked quietly, unable to keep the nervous crack out of his voice.

"What's the matter, putty-tat?" Lilamon teased, "You scawed?"

Coronamon was definitely feeling far from brave at that particular point in time, but he wasn't going to tell his three companions that. And especially not the vindictive Lilamon.

Before them was a gateway of pure, raw, seething energy, undulating in pulses which seemingly gave the purple swirling mass a life of its own.

The Dark Lord had explained its purpose; an interdimentional link to a parallel reality which their Master referred to simply as the "other realm." One which he had, apparently, been planning for all this time, even as his minions expanded outwards across the Digital World.

Coronamon definitely had his doubts.

"What are we here to do again?" he asked, trying to distract his mind from whatever could possibly lay ahead.

"Scouting mission." Millimon replied from his right, her gaze transfixed by the portal and all of its massing energies, "Recon and intelligence."

"Here, there and back again." Mikemon added from the far right.

"Riiiiight..." Coronamon was decidedly unconvinced.

"Let's just get this over with." Lilamon glowered, "The heat from this portal is wilting my petals."

"And we wouldn't want that now, would we?" came Mikemon's cheeky input.

Lilamon snarled, "Remind me to delete you later."

"Check."

Millimon sighed, never being one to enjoy the group's constant bickering, "Are we doing this or not?"

"Do we have a choice?" Coronamon.

Lilamon rolled her eyes, finding the other members of the team as irksome as ever. But it was Millimon who stepped up first. Without comment, she simply stepped forwards and passed through the rippling surface as easily as one may walk through a mirror in a fairytale. In an instant, she was gone.

Mikemon shrugged, not one to leave his friend behind, and followed her into the fray.

"Well..." Coronamon chuckled nervously, knowing he couldn't back down, "I guess this is it." He looked up at Lilamon.

With swift movement, she picked him up by the scruff of his neck and tossed him in the direction of the gateway. He'd passed through it before he could so much as cry out a protest.

With a sly, self-satisfied grin reserved for herself, Lilamon steeled her emotions to keep them in check, then stepped forwards until she too vanished.

The gateway closed behind her.

"Do well, my servants," a low, dark voice spoke from the shadowy throne a little way away, having watched the whole thing from start to finish.

"Do well." His eyes seemed to glow darkly amidst the gloom, "Or perish."

* * *

"You ok in there?" Graeme seemingly asked the khaki bag which was flung over his shoulder.

"No!" came the muffled reply, "It smells like week-old underpants in here!"

Graeme elbowed the bag gently, "Keep it down in there!" he hissed, turning at right-angles along the footpath, following it towards a tall housing block, "Somebody'll hear you!"

"It's unbearable in here!" Patamon whined. It was dark, it was dank, and it smelled distinctly of dried sweat. He tried desperately not to breathe through his nose.

"We're less than a minute away." Graeme whispered back, trying not to draw attention to himself, or the contents of his bag, "Just keep it down."

Graeme pulled a small, crumpled post-it note out of one of his pockets, unfurling it with just the one free hand. According to the notice on the wall, this was the right place.

"Horwood Halls, block C." He looked along the row of virtually identical, four storey red-brown bricked blocks of flats, currently standing before one labelled A. The next one, he could see, was B. So it stood to reason that the one after that would be C block.

The signage next to the door confirmed this. And the series of little buzzers next to it displayed a list of names. J. Woodward was close to the bottom of the list.

"Are we there yet?!" Patamon demanded, eager to get out, the instant Graeme pressed the button.

"Almost."

"That does it! I'm coming out!"

Graeme felt Patamon start to squirm in the bag, throwing him off balance. The little flying hamster sure could pack in some force when he wanted to. Graeme was forced to swing the duffel off his shoulder and place it on the floor. But he held the top closed to keep the poor Digimon inside confined for just a little bit longer. But Patamon was fighting back with equal vigour.

"_Hello?" _a voice called from the buzzer, but Graeme didn't hear it over the sound of his struggles with Patamon.

"Stay in there!" he struggled, wrapping his hands firmly around the bag's elasticated opening.

But Patamon managed to force his paws through the gap, pushing it open and pressing his head forwards. He hated enclosed spaces.

"Do you want somebody to see you?!" Graeme hissed, about to push him back in again.

"Well," a female voice called from somewhere above the wrestling pair, stopping them both in their tracks. Looking up, they could see a girl leaning out of one of the windows, her long, light ash blonde hair blowing gently in the wind. Though the light was fading quickly, the last remnants of the setting sun brightly lit her face, glistening off both her glasses, and her emerald eyes beneath them. Graeme was stunned.

"You must be Graeme." She mused, adorning a lopsided smirk.

"Erm..." Graeme fought for his words, "That's me. We talked... Over the phone?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "You and your bag want in?" there was a lightly teasing tone to her voice.

"Um, please." Graeme picked up the duffel, Patamon now with his head sticking out of it. There was no way she hadn't seen him, "Yes please."

"'kay. Wait right there." And she vanished from the window.

A moment later the door buzzed, the sound of a lock clicking following closely behind. Graeme opted to enter without hesitation.

"So..." Patamon started as they reached a stairwell, "Can I get out now?"

Graeme chose not to respond.

* * *

A vibrant red twilight clung stubbornly to the north-western skies, the sun's retreating light lingering for as long as it could. It was a sharp contrast to the bitter rains of the earlier battle. Even the cold, sharp air had been replaced by the mild, fragrant air of the late summer months.

Was this the human world?

It seemed different to the Digital realm somehow. More solid, more tactile, more... real. A whole array of unusual scents floated on this alien breeze, the chatter of birds and other animals – equally as out of place – called out in unsynchronised chorus.

Millimon had never been to a place which felt so strange, and yet so... right. An unusually pleasant sensation filled the pit of her stomach and the depths of her soul. Even the inexplicable feelings of loss and detachment with which she'd always lived seemed dampened by the environment around her.

It felt almost homely.

The soft patter of feet behind her caused the Dark Warrior Digimon to spin on her heels, her fingers instinctively tightening around the staff of her scythe. Her grip loosened as her eyes fell upon the calico cat that was Mikemon.

"Are we here?" He asked, stepping up next to her without looking up to her face, "Is this the human world?"

Millimon simply nodded.

"It feels so... Different." He observed, no doubt feeling the same assault on his senses as she had earlier.

The pair were shaken free from their thoughts when they heard what sounded like a far off cry of panic. They both looked around, taking a moment to realise that it was coming from above them. It also seemed to be getting closer.

"YAAAAAAH!" a small, orange blur fell from the heavens, impacting hard on the ground before the pair, sending up a little cloud of dust.

Millimon and Mikemon exchanged puzzled glances.

As the dust settled, a familiar little lion came into view, sprawled out on the floor and looking dazed and bewildered, "Cheque please..."

"Oh, don't make such a fuss." Came the familiar voice of Lilamon, as she floated gently down from the sky, "I didn't throw you that hard."

"You threw him?" Millimon asked with a frown.

Lilamon raised an eyebrow, looking Millimon up and down, "You sound surprised."

Millimon sighed, rubbing her temple. It was Mikemon who helped Coronamon to his feet, despite his mild dislike for the cocky creature. Still, he'd suffered at the hands of Lilamon's cruel sense of humour in the past. So he could hold a certain amount of sympathy for the smallest of their group.

"So what do we do now?" Lilamon asked, totally blanking the messed up little rookie as Mikemon lifted him off the ground, placing one of the lion's arms around his shoulder for support.

"We carry out our orders." Mikemon began, "Spread out, scout for nearby human settlements, bring back the details to Darkdramon ASAP."

"Oh, how I lament these recon missions." Lilamon complained like a spoilt brat, "I never get to have any fun."

"I doubt there are many defenceless Digimon here for you to pick on." Millimon pointed out flatly.

"Maybe I can find a defenceless huma- Hey!" she objected, realising the barely-veiled insult.

Mikemon couldn't help but suppress his grin. _Millimon 1, Lilamon nil._

"Maybe we should get started?" Coronamon suggested weakly from Mikemon's side, earning a grunt of indignation from the flower fairy.

"How are we going to do this, anyway?" Mikemon asked Millimon.

"There are four of us," she pointed out, "so it would make sense to take a direction each."

"Sounds like a plan."

"I'll take north." Millimon offered, "Lilamon, you should take south."

The flower fairy Digimon didn't like being given orders, especially by Millimon. And it shone in her eyes as a bitter resentment of the dark demon. But what annoyed her the most was that south was the direction she would've picked anyway. South was always the plant woman's choice.

"Mikemon," Millimon continued all the while, "You take west; into the sunset. Coronamon, if you're up to it, take the east. Meet back here in a couple of hours."

Coronamon took his arm from around Mikemon, seeing if he could stand by himself. He wobbled unsteadily for a moment or two, but he didn't fall over. The impact was wearing off.

"Let's do it." He tried to sound enthusiastic. The others watched as he was the first to head off, wobbling in the direction of the encroaching darkness.

Lilamon gave one final huff before taking flight and heading south, disappearing from view.

Mikemon looked at Millimon, "What do you think?" he asked her quietly.

"She's going to delete him one of these days." She replied, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"I'm no fan of the cocky little cub," Mikemon admitted earnestly, "but I wouldn't want to delete him. What can we do?"

Millimon shrugged, then picked up her staff, "Do our job. Keep an eye on them where we can; make sure she doesn't do something stupid."

Mikemon sighed heavily, "I guess you're right." But his expression quickly changed into a smile, "See you in two hours." He hadn't even finished before he turned around and bounded off toward the fading twilight sky.

Millimon remained for a moment, taking in the night. It seemed they'd almost entirely missed the daylight that past day. Not that she minded. The night was her domain. She welcomed it.

Saying a farewell to the sky above her, she turned to the north, pressing into some woodland.

The spot where the four Lieutenants had been stood was now silent, empty. All bar the single crater of Coronamon's landing.

Night was setting in.

* * *

Graeme knocked lightly at what seemed to be a solid pine door. Patamon, having somehow escaped the duffel bag on the way up the stairs, now stood on the floor by his feet. Graeme had long-since lost the will to argue the point, so he just held the empty bag and let the Digimon have his way.

The sound of a Yale lock being undone rang out loudly from the other side, and the door was pulled back, revealing the same ash blonde he'd seen before. He noted her interesting fashion choice, wearing a simple sleeveless white button-up blouse and a black tie, the effect was a surprisingly academic look.

But then, between his own shirt and jacket, he didn't look all that much different in terms of styling.

It was just at that moment that Graeme remembered he had yet to speak, "Erm... Hi." He stumbled for words. He never was all that good at meeting new people.

"Hi." She replied in short, not really giving him all that much to work with.

"So, um... You had a problem?" Graeme fumbled, "With my site?"

"You could say that..." she wasn't entirely sure he'd believe her.

"Small, round, white and fluffy, right?" he clarified, "Mind if I come in and take a look?"

"What?" Jayne looked him over, then her eyes widened, "Oh. Oh!" she stepped aside, chuckling to herself, "No, no. Please, come in."

The small orange and white creature which followed him in wasn't lost on Jayne. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before , "Is that a...?" she trailed off.

"Yeah." Graeme nodded as she closed the door behind the pair of them, "Just... Don't ask."

Surprisingly, she was smirking, "Glad I'm not the only one."

Graeme nodded, looking around the room. It seemed like a typical student's room, not much different to his own in dimension. The furnishings were pretty similar too, no doubt bought from the same supply place in bulk. It took him a couple of moments to see the small purple and white cat-like creature standing behind Jayne's legs.

"And that would be..." he pointed.

"...Small, round, white and fluffy." Jayne finished with a nod.

Graeme chuckled, "Funny. That looks like a-"

"Gatomon!"

That was the quickest he'd ever seen Patamon move. He just couldn't suppress the laugh.

* * *

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. It's great inspiration to continue the story, and I appreciate all comments – be they supportive or critical.

I won't be responding to questions, however, because I don't want to ruin the story in any way, even if I just give away details about its eventual length. I have it all planned out and broken down. But that's all you need to know :P

Hope that helps.

Thanks for reading!

NKC


	8. Chapter VIII

**Chapter VIII**

Izzy paced the small confines of TK's bedroom as a general may march before his troops prior to battle. His mind was scrutinising every little detail, searching – reaching – for any indication as to precisely what had happened to Gatomon and Patamon.

A sweeping scan of the Digital World had shown up nothing of the Digimon pair's location; only an entry vector. But then, how could they have _entered_ the Digital World and yet not be _in_ the Digital world?

Izzy got the distinct feeling that he was missing something. Something big and glaringly obvious.

TK's computer – working all the while – emitted a shrill beep to indicate that it'd completed the task assigned to it mere minutes before. Izzy didn't even have to look at the screen to know the answer was negative.

The distant look on Izzy's face wasn't lost on Kari, who rose from her sitting position beside TK and stepped up behind the redheaded teen, lightly placing her hand on his shoulder in reassurance, finally bringing his restless pacing to a stop.

"Are you OK, Izzy?" she asked him softly, snapping him back to reality. The thoughtful look on his face softened a bit.

"I'm... At a loss." He reluctantly admitted.

"No sweat." TK smiled light-heartedly, still sitting on his bed, "We'll solve it, given time."

"That's just the thing," Izzy turned to face the Digidestined of hope, "I feel as if I should be able to solve it now, with all the information at hand. But I'm sure that I'm just missing one piece of the puzzle." His frustrated frown was very evident.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," his pacing began afresh, although he was now counting points on his fingers, "We know Patamon and Gatomon aren't on Earth. We know from your D3's that they have an entry vector into the Digital World. And we know from the fact that your D3's still work at all that they've not been reconfigured somehow." All facts laid bare before him, Izzy had been hoping for an epiphany. No such luck, "Logic dictates that they ought to be in the Digital World. But the scans clearly indicate that they're not."

TK nodded, his own mind trying to find some explanation. Izzy's reasoning was sound enough; he couldn't fault it. So what were they missing?

Only then did either of the boys notice that Kari had crossed the room to TK's phone, receiver in hand and already dialling.

"Who're you calling?" Izzy asked curiously, eyebrow raised.

"The others," Kari listened as the dial-tone turned to ringing, "Never hurts to have a fresh perspective."

_Click. "Inoue residence. Yolei speaking. Who's calling please?"_

"Yolei!" Kari smiled warmly, "It's Kari. You free for a few hours? We could really use your help..."

* * *

The twilight was fading fast, the final lingering remnants of the day washing into darkness as a wave of stars lapped against the receding daylight. Shadows grew, expanding relentlessly outwards at an idle pace, slowly merging together into dark night.

Not that it troubled Mikemon. His eyes cut through the darkness with ease, his vision almost as strong and clear as during the noontime sun. But, as he wandered, it was the eerie sounds of this strange world which kept his attention focussed.

A strange bird was perched not too far away, turning it's head at unnatural angles to preen it's feathered wings. Every now and then, its head would snap up, surveying from side to side before it continued with its maintenance, occasionally pausing to give off a deep hoot. Mikemon thought that it looked a lot like an Aurumon.

And in the background, a sound not all too different from that of a flock of Kuwagamon – albeit very small ones. And from the sounds of it, there were thousands of them!

Mikemon had to remind himself that there were no wild Digimon in this world, so whatever the source of any strange noises it was unlikely to prove dangerous to him.

As the night settled in, and his surroundings became less worrying, Mikemon's slow pace turned into an idle gait, and he found himself strolling along the underside of a large, towering hedge. At times, a glint of orange light caught his attention through the thick foliage, but the thicket proved impassable.

At least, until he happened upon a gaping hole, allowing him to see through to the other side. To his surprise, there was what appeared to be a wide, black, solid-looking river of some sort between himself and a straight, narrow pavement. There were dim, orange lights placed in a neat line along the concrete's length, sitting atop towering poles and casting weak illumination onto the ground below. Behind that, there were tall, ugly brick buildings – unnatural and disturbing – littered with windows, some lit, others darkened. It reminded the calico cat a little bit of File City.

"These have to be human settlements..." He realised; just what he was looking for, "I'd better scout it out."

Glancing uncertainly down at the solid "river," Mikemon tentatively placed one foot ahead of the other, dipping a clawed toe down towards the dark surface. He blinked confusedly when he didn't penetrate it, but rather found it to be solid.

With a shrug, he stepped out onto it, thankful it was unyielding and firm.

_HONK!_

"What the-?"

Very bright lights were racing towards him. This couldn't be good...

* * *

The dense gloom of night-time woodland; not the same welcoming warmth of a clear night's sky. But, darkness was darkness.

From Millimon's point of view, it was welcome in all its forms, wrapping around her form like a warm blanket. Welcoming. Serene. Beautiful. And any chance to enjoy it like this was more than appreciated.

But, at the same time, she knew that she had to keep her mind focussed on the task at hand. An hour or so walking should, in theory, put a few miles behind her. With just a little luck, she'd have something to report back with, and they could draw up a basic layout of the surrounding area. So far, unfortunately for their plans, all she'd seen was tree after tree after tree.

_I wonder if the others are having any luck? _She thought to herself, stepping lightly through the undergrowth.

Her vision scanned from left to right, looking for any indication of something besides the dense woodland all around. There was no moonlight to illuminate her path; the thick canopy ensured that much. But she could see well enough. It just seemed that there was nothing much to see.

"MEOW!"

SCREETCH! CRASH!

The violent eruption of noise startled the Dark Warrior, causing her to spin on her heels. That very catlike mewl of fright had sounded far too familiar for her liking.

"Mikemon!" she hissed as realisation dawned.

With a click of her fingers, the blackness enveloped her, and she vanished from that dark, gloomy place.

Her friend needed her.

* * *

Coronamon's thoughts burned as brightly in his mind as his tail-flame ever had. His meandering path seemed to be leading him nowhere; open fields of long-grass surrounding him on all sides. No sign of human civilisation. No signs of anything for that matter.

And so his mind wandered as freely as he did, ending up focussed entirely on one particular flowery fairy Digimon.

There were no two ways about it. He hated Lilamon. She never showed him any respect. Not that she did to the others, either. Only the Dark Lord seemed to garner anything in the way of humility from her. But she never seemed to pick on Millimon or Mikemon. Not in the same way she did with him.

Millimon was obvious. She was the same level as Lilamon, and had held her ultimate form for a lot longer. If Lilamon were to challenge her openly, it would not be an easy fight for the fairy to win. And it was anybody's guess who would be the victor in that particular fight.

And then there was Mikemon. He was only a champion. No real challenge, Coronamon thought, to the strong flower fairy. But it was his friendship with Millimon that seemed to keep him safe.

Coronamon, on the other hand, wasn't particularly close to any of them. And he was only a rookie. As Lilamon had demonstrated on several occasions, deleting him would take barely a second thought on her part. On several occasions, he through that she would. But then again, maybe she just liked toying with him. How he detested his weakness.

He sometimes wondered why the Lord Darkdramon kept him around as such a high-ranking Lieutenant. For as long as hecould remember, he'd been in the Dark Lord's services. Indeed, he'd been a lowly Sunmon when they'd first crossed paths...

* * *

_Sunmon shivered in the bitter cold of the high mountains. He couldn't recall exactly where it had all gone wrong. One minute, he had been in the comfort of the southern desert. And then, without warning, down had swooped a large Birdramon, eying up the small in-training for it's lunch._

_Massive talons had enveloped the helpless youngling, taking him entirely by surprise and scaring him out of his wits. He hated the darkness. Sunlight and flame were the familiar comforts to him._

_His survival instincts had taken over at that point. Nobody wanted to be somebody else's lunch. Not if they could help it. And he could._

"_Helios Ball!" he cried, a white-hot flame engulfing his body, lifting his temperature by a few thousand Kelvin – hot enough to melt through thick metals, let alone this champion-level's flesh._

_There was a large outcry of pain as the Birdramon was forced to release him, and – as his flame faded back to the simple candle-like prominence on his head – Sunman soon felt the strange sensation of falling._

_Looking down, he saw mountainous formations rising up to meet him. He had barely enough time to cry out in fear before darkness engulfed him. For a moment, he thought he felt the bitter touch of death._

_When he regained consciousness his surroundings were unfamiliar and frightening. It was cold. Cold unlike anything he'd ever felt before, deep and biting. White flakes fell from the sky and a violent wind whipped around him, causing the little Digimon to shiver. The small flame on his head seemed to barely burn at all. He feared he may die in this inhospitable place._

_A deep tremor-like thud of footsteps echoed through the acrimonious environment, the trembling Sunmon feeling almost certain that the Birdramon had landed and was looking to finish him off. Life seemed so unfair._

_Suddenly, the whiteout seemed to shimmer to life, a large mechanical being of sharp claws, thick armour and almost frail wings materialising before the defenceless youngster._

_The being towered over Sunmon, who cowered in fear of this new foe. Defiance burned within him, and he wasn't going to go down without a fight. He concentrated the last of his strength, causing the flame atop his head to burn all the brighter. One attack, maybe, and then he'd be all out of energy._

_The large creature seemed to regard the in-training thoughtfully, sizing him up, almost judging him._

"_You will suffice." It spoke at last, voice deep and booming._

_A large hand encircled Sunmon. But, unlike the Birdramon's grip, this didn't feel threatening. It felt safe. Warm. Almost cosy._

_The darkness took him again. But this time, it didn't feel like death._

* * *

That had been many years ago now. Sunmon had given way to Coronamon, and he had changed very much mentally. Though he still couldn't understand why Darkdramon had saved him. Maybe he'd seen the frail little Sunmon free himself from the clutches of a hungry champion. Or maybe he'd seen something inside which impressed him enough to save his life.

Either way, he had been saved. Coronamon owed the Dark Lord his life.

His loyalty had been unwavering since that day. And still, he earned little respect.

If he could only Digivolve, perhaps that would change. Someday, it _would_ change. He would make sure of it.

* * *

Lilamon hated south. She hated north, west and east even more. But still, she hated south.

Well, she hated just about anything she didn't want to do, of course. But because it was Millimon's idea, she decided that she'd hate it with a passion. At least until a time when it suited her.

This new world in which she'd found herself left her highly unimpressed. At first glance, it seemed to be much the same as the Digital World. Only there was a definite lack of Digimon here. Instead, all there seemed to be were a series of frail-looking creatures, fluttering about in the darkness randomly and without purpose. Whatever they were – small, barely a few centimetres in size, greyish-brown and bearing a slight resemblance to the mythical Mothmon – they seemed to be following her. Some had dared to try and land on her petals, apparently drawn to the sweet-scented flowers. But she swatted them off with ease.

"Damn bugs." She grumbled, swatting yet another one away from her face. She'd tried to charge a few attacks to scare them off, but if anything the swirling orbs of bright energy seemed only to draw them in closer.

These beings defied belief!

Her trek southwards had continued much like this for the past hour or so, proving to be a total non-event. Other than the strange limbless trees – each connected by a series of wires, no-less – which followed the unusual dark path she was walking along, nothing seemed out of place here. Whatever 

constituted human civilisation, there was no sign of it. No buildings. No humans of any shape or size. No nothing.

Lilamon's foul mood only grew worse.

Not much longer now and she could turn around and go back.

Why did her Master want this world anyway?

* * *

Gatomon blinked as she was tackle-hugged by an orange and cream blur. It took a few moments for her to recognise it as Patamon, and a few more seconds after that for her brain to acknowledge that he was actually real and not some figment of her imagination.

"Patamon?" she asked disbelievingly as the rookie held her pinned down in a hug.

His happy blue eyes met with hers, and he was grinning widely. He looked kind of goofy, but it made Gatomon smile, and she returned the hug.

To be perfectly honest, Patamon had been the last person she'd expected to see. But a moment of thought made her realise that it all made perfect sense. Patamon had vanished without so much as a word. He hadn't met up with any of the others, and he hadn't been at TK's house when she'd arrived there. And then, when she'd started looking for him, all hell had broken loose and Gatomon had soon found herself in this new place. Clearly, the same had happened to Patamon too.

"So," a female voice interrupted the Digimon pair, "You two know each other?"

Patamon looked up, noting the girl who he'd seen earlier leaning out of the window. Jayne, her name was, he recalled. Carefully, he lifted himself off Gatomon, pausing only to give her a hand back onto her feet, "Know each other? Gatomon's my best friend!"

Gatomon blushed lightly, partly due to the eagerness in Patamon's voice, and partly for reasons she couldn't quite place.

"You never told me you'd made a Digimon too." Jayne placed her hands on her hips, frowning accusingly at Graeme.

He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly, "Well, technically, we didn't make them..." the look on Jayne's face told him it was better to stop, "Sorry." He mumbled.

"And just how many more of them are there going to be out there?" she questioned.

"None." He assured, "I took the site offline. So it's just these two."

"The only question now is; how do we get them home?"

Gatomon and Patamon exchanged looks. All hopes of them getting back hinged on the answer to that question, and the current expression sported by Graeme spoke volumes. He wasn't entirely certain how they'd do it. But he was fairly sure that, given time, he could work something out.

"It's a work in progress..." he admitted aloud, looking down at the saddened Digimon pair, "But if there's a way in, then there's a way out, right?" his genuine optimism shone through in his tone.

Patamon perked up a little bit, although Gatomon looked just as sullen as before. It wasn't so much the fact that she didn't believe they'd never find a way home, but more that she was sure Kari would be worrying about her. And she just knew that Kari would worry herself sick about this.

"Just make sure you-" her reply was cut short as her ears twitched.

"MEOW!"

SCREETCH! CRASH!

The racket wasn't lost on the others, either.

"What the devil was that?" Graeme looked puzzled, watching as Jayne wandered over to her window. Gatomon leapt up onto the desk to get a better view as the human girl slid the window open. Patamon had taken to the air to gain a good vantage point, and soon even Graeme had stepped up next to the trio.

Just over the way, across the road, they could see the headlights of a car. That in itself wasn't strange, except for the fact that the front end of the vehicle was wrapped around a lamp-post, steam swirling up from the vehicle's punctured radiator, illuminated by the white headlights and the uniquely orange radiance of the sodium streetlight.

It was a car crash.

"Ouch." Jayne winced, "That has to hurt."

"Think we should go down and help?" Graeme wondered, noticing that nobody seemed to be getting out of the car. And nobody was running over to see what happened, either. The driver could be injured.

"Couldn't hurt." Jayne agreed, and the two headed for the door.

Gatomon jumped down to follow, but was stopped in her tracks by Graeme, "You should stay here."

Gatomon looked up at him disbelievingly, "You're kidding me, right?"

He shook his head, "No. You can't risk being seen."

Gatomon crossed her arms over her chest in a very human-like expression of stubbornness, "I'm coming. You heard that loud meow just before the crash. I'm telling you, that didn't sound like any human kitty to me."

"How could you possibly know that from here?" he didn't budge, mirroring her stance.

"Ahem." She stroked a claw along the top of one of her ears, "I'm a cat."

"If she's going," Patamon interjected, drifting down to her side, "then I'm coming too."

Graeme was about to protest when Jayne placed a hand on his shoulder, "I think you've been out-voted." She mused.

Graeme let out an exasperated sigh, but conceded defeat, his arms returning to his side, "Alright, alright. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Gatomon and Patamon exchanged a smile before bounding out of the door. Graeme followed closely behind shaking his head, pausing only to wait for Jayne to close and lock her door.

* * *

Millimon appeared to the sight of pure carnage. A vehicle – was that the right word? - clearly containing at least one human, had managed to wrap it's front end quite neatly around a tall metallic pole, adorned with a single orange light.

There were heavy black marks leaving a trail from one side of the road to the other, swerving uncontrollably. But none of this mattered to her.

"Mikemon?" she called to her friend, the loud cry of fear having clearly been his. She'd recognise his voice anywhere.

No reply.

"Mikemon!" she shouted a little louder, scanning the nearby area. There, just a little way off, laid in a heap against the base of the hedged boundary, was a small creature of light white and pale to dark browns.

There was no mistaking that form.

"Mikemon!" Millimon cried out, on her knees beside him in less than an instant. She paused only to lay down her scythe, keeping it well out of the way. Carefully, she scooped up the apparently unconscious champion into her arms. But the motion caused the feline to stir.

Mikemon opened his eyes, wincing a little as he felt his neck crick. The pain faded quickly enough, and he soon became more aware of his surroundings. Something – somebody – was holding him. Defensive reflexes taking over, he was up on his feet in an instant, claws bared and ready to strike. The wave of dizzy nausea that followed made him regret it instantly.

"Take it easy," a gentle, familiar voice brought him back to the real world. Only then did he notice that it was Millimon who held him. The nausea passed, and was replaced with confusion.

To his surprise, the generally cool and collected ultimate Digimon pulled him into a light hug. He could feel a certain tenderness to it, but every muscle in his body went rigid, uncertain how to respond. She'd never hugged him before.

"I thought you were dead..." Millimon whispered softly. Had that been a crack in her voice?

Plucking up a little courage, Mikemon hugged her back, though small as he was, he ended up simply hugging her neck.

When the two finally parted, Millimon placed him gently upon the ground, and he looked around the scene. His eyes fell upon the wrecked car.

"Wow." He gasped, "Looked like I won that fight."

"Fight?" Millimon asked with confusion, "What happened here?"

"I'm not sure." Mikemon admitted, thinking back, "All I did was step out from the gap in the hedge," he pointed to the clearly visible opening, "And then _this_ monster came out of nowhere, howled at me in a god-awful tone, and then hit me all the way over to there."

"I'm not so sure it is a monster." Millimon pointed out, rising to her feet and collecting her scythe, "Look. There's a human inside it."

"Maybe it ate the human?" Mikemon looked over, seeing the human 'sleeping' inside, "You'd think it'd at least chew it's food."

Millimon smirked, kicking out at him lightly with one foot, "You idiot. It almost chewed you up!"

Mikemon whistled in appreciation. She definitely had a point.

* * *

"Phew." Graeme whistled in appreciation, "That car looks totalled."

The quartet approached the wrecked vehicle from one side, Gatomon and Patamon following the human pair in the hopes of avoiding being seen. The catlike cry had Gatomon intrigued, but their first concern was any humans inside the car. From where they were, it looked as if it were only the driver, who was slumped unconscious over the wheel.

Jayne was the first one there, opening the driver's door and giving him a quick once-over.

"You sure look like you know what you're doing." Graeme complimented, watching her check the man's pulse.

"I took a first-aid course for extra credit." She explained, not missing a beat and checking his face for wounds, "He doesn't look too badly hurt. No open wounds, anyway. Just looks like the wheel knocked him out."

Graeme slipped his mobile from his pocket, "I'll call for an ambulance." He was already dialling, "Somebody smell around to see if the car's leaking petrol."

Gatomon, having the strongest sense of smell of them all, decided she best do it. She wandered around the car, but the only thing she could smell was the overheated brakes and the hot steam from the ruptured cooling system. At least the car wasn't going to burst into flames.

It was then that she noticed the figure just a little way down the road, kneeling off to one side, seemingly cradling something in it's arms.

"Um, guys?" Gatomon called back to the others, each of them looking in her direction.

"Somebody else?" Jayne asked, picking up on the figure instantly. She set the driver of the car back into a more comfortable position, confident that all he had was a concussion, "Do they look hurt?"

"I can't tell..." Gatomon admitted, squinting.

"What's that they're holding?" Patamon hopped around to Gatomon's side.

"It looks like a cat." Jayne appeared. Graeme was with her, though he was giving directions to the emergency services, "Wow, that's a neat costume." Jayne admired the kneeling girl, "She looks a bit like a vampire. I wonder whose party she's going to?"

Just then, the figure moved, rising to her feet. The cat in her arms was released, standing on the ground on it's hind legs only, in much the same way as Gatomon was.

"Quick!" Gatomon hissed, realisation hitting her. She'd startling her three companions, "Everyone behind the car! Now!"

There were no protests. Only rapid compliance. They were all well hidden behind the wreck of a car before the figure had the chance to spot them.

"What was all that about?" Jayne asked, realising she'd scraped her knee in an effort to hide. It hadn't drawn any blood, but the scuff had smarted.

"Jayne," Gatomon whispered, "I don't know whether or not you noticed, but that wasn't any _ordinary_ cat."

"No?" she hadn't really been watching the cat, to be honest. Only the human.

"Those two," Gatomon peered around the wheel she was hiding behind, "Are Digimon."

* * *

That's the end of that chapter. Sorry it took so long to write, but things have been a little hectic as of late.

That chapter was also a fair bit longer than I'd intended. And I didn't even fit everything into it that I wanted to! So that content will be going into the next chapter.

Anyway, thanks for reading. The next chapter is already underway, and I hope to have it out some time next week.

Let me know what you think!

NKC


	9. Chapter IX

**Chapter IX**

"Those two," Gatomon spoke in a low, hushed voice, peering at the vampire girl and the calico cat from their side of the crashed car, "Are Digimon."

"Digimon?" Graeme was absolutely dumbfounded. That couldn't possibly be right, could it? As far as he knew the only way for them to get through to this world was via that very major flaw in his own creation. And even then the website had only had two hits – one for Patamon and one for Gatomon. After that he'd turned it off to stop more problems from cropping up. By all reasoning, these Digimon shouldn't be here. "How is that possible?"

"Beats me." Gatomon shrugged, carefully sizing up the digital duo, "But somehow, there they are."

"Maybe we should ask them?" Jayne suggested thoughtfully from her hiding place beside the driver's door. She'd been looking in on the unconscious motorist from time to time, but there were no new developments.

"Are you kidding?" Patamon was disbelieving, "What if they're not friendly? Gatomon and me can't even Digivolve!"

"Digivolve?" Jayne puzzled, as if the little orange and cream Digimon had just spoken to her in fluent Greek.

"Higher levels." Graeme explained without shifting the focus of his attention from this new threat, "Makes 'em stronger."

"Riiiight..." like that made any sense to her.

"What makes you think they're not friendly?" Graeme ignored the implied sarcasm, turning his head down towards Gatomon and Patamon, speaking directly to the Digimon couple, "They don't look all that bad."

"That's not what worries me." Gatomon rubbed her brow, "That cat's a Mikemon. Champion level. Easily as strong as me without Kari around."

"So..." Graeme urged her to continue, not quite getting her point.

It was Jayne who filled in the gap, "So we don't want to get in a fight with it, genius" she swatted his arm, rolling her eyes all the while. Even she could figure that out, just from the tone in Gatomon's voice.

Graeme frowned at her, rubbing the growing sore spot slowly, "What about that human looking one?"

"I don't recognise her." Gatomon admitted, looking over to Patamon to see if he had any input. The winged rookie simply shook his head.

"Maybe she's not so tough?" Jayne added thoughtfully, "She looks pretty dainty to me. I reckon I could take her."

"I don't think so." Patamon shook his head, light humour in his voice.

Jayne shot him a disapproving glance. She was sure she could take them.

But it was Gatomon who added rationale to Patamon's comment, "I've never seen such a human-looking Digimon below the champion level. From the looks of her I'd guess ultimate. But either way, we can't really win a fight without our partners here."

"Look," Graeme cut in, slight urgency in his voice, "whatever we do, we have to do it quickly. The police and ambulance will be here soon, and I doubt those two over there are going to like that kind of attention whether they're friendly or not."

"Oh, I don't know." Came a girly voice from just above them, filled with mirth and glee. The quartet looked up to see a pink, white and green fairy hovering just above them. She seemed almost delicate in construction, her body adorned with soft, felt-like petals. "I'm pretty sure we could handle a few little humans."

Jayne looked up at this newcomer with confusion. A fifth Digimon? Where the heck were they all coming from?

"And you would be...?" she asked of the fairy.

"Oh, how rude of me." The flowery Digimon chuckled, "My name is Lilamon." She bowed her torso to them, "servant of the Dark Lord Darkdramon. And, if I'm not too mistaken," she brought her hands together before her, the petals spreading wide as they came to bear on Jayne, all smiles and pleasantness gone now, "You are all prisoners of war."

* * *

Yolei yawned loudly with impatience. Having rounded up Davis, Cody, Ken and all their Digimon, the troop had headed over to TK's place as quickly as they could once the message was out. The explanation as to the root of their problems had been in-depth and drawn out, and the inevitable demands for action had ensured – from Davis, of course.

"What are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

You couldn't really fault his enthusiasm. His incessant pacing and arm-waving, perhaps. But not his enthusiasm.

Yolei closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose, disturbing her glasses. She was sure she felt a tension headache coming on. Ken must've noticed, because she felt an arm move around her shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze.

"We can't just up and go, Davis." Ken said in his calm, level way, "We don't even know _where _we need to go."

"But you heard Izzy." Davis protested, "They went into the Digital world. Which means we need to go to the Digital world too!"

"No, Davis." Yolei interrupted, setting her glasses straight as she opened her eyes again, "Izzy said they had an _entry vector _intothe Digital world. They're not there anymore."

"Actually," Izzy thought aloud to the others, "Davis may be right."

Yolei blinked in confusion, "Davis? Right?"

"Had to happen sooner or later," Cody added thoughtfully.

"Hey!" came the protest, a light-hearted chuckle rippling through the group as a result.

"I always knew you had it in you, Davish!" Veemon cheered his friend on.

Davis peered down at his little blue companion with disdain, "Dude, not helping..."

"Not to put too fine a point on it," Hawkmon interrupted by raising a feathered wing, "But how can Davis be right if neither Gatomon nor Patamon are actually in the Digital World anymore?"

"Duh." Realisation struck Yolei like lightening - only much less painfully, she added as an afterthought, "They passed right through it."

"Precisely." Izzy nodded, "I don't know why I didn't think of it before."

"Clearly, you just needed Davis's help." Ken smiled in earnest.

Izzy looked downcast, "I didn't realise things had gotten quite so bad."

The entire group – Davis included – couldn't suppress a laugh.

"So," TK, standing at Kari's side, asked once the laughter had subsided, "To the Digital world?"

Davis withdrew his D3, a lopsided smirk plastered across his chops. He raised it up into the air, "To the Digital World!"

* * *

"Prisoners of war?" Jayne looked perturbed, "What do you mean, Prisoners of war? What war? There is no war."

Lilamon, hovering menacingly over the quartet, rolled her eyes in disbelief, "How do you apes even breathe? By the Digi-gods, you're so dense..."

Jayne snarled, taking Graeme by surprise. Whilst Jayne had thus far been sarcastic, dry witted, but all in all quite friendly, he hadn't yet seen her angry side. Until now, that was. And the expression on her face was filled with such anger that it almost scared him.

"How would you like me to pluck those petals for you, flower-girl? Then we'll see who's stupid." Jayne snarled with deliberate venom.

Although, Graeme had to admit that he admired her gutsiness, assuming that she was actually aware of the powers that this "flower-girl" actually wielded, being an ultimate Digimon. Actually, what if she didn't know? What if...

"Erm, Jayne?" he whispered loudly.

"Not now, Graeme." She hissed in response, all the while glaring at this new enemy.

Whilst Graeme seemed somewhat worried, the expression on Lilamon's face was pure bemusement, "You honestly think that you could beat me in a fight?"

Jayne bared her teeth, Lilamon's amusement turning into a blatant mocking laugh, "OK then, human. Try this on for size."

Lilamon, the deceptively delicate and elegant flower fairy, brought her petals to bear in her trademark attack, ready to strike at this abrasive human female if only to teach her her place. She'd never fought a human before, but from every rumour she'd heard of them - every story told or myth shared - she knew they were weak, powerless sacks of flesh and bone. They had no special attacks. No higher evolutions. And their physical attacks were puny and feeble.

This should be easy.

"Lightening Paw!"

"Argh!" Lilamon cringed in pain, pulling back her hand to find one of the petals ripped and torn. Fury welled up within her; how dare they!

It was that little white cat – the Gatomon – now standing defensively in front of the human girl, poised to fight.

"You little hairball." Lilamon scowled, nursing her wounded hand, "I'll make you all pay for that one!"

"Yeah?" Gatomon tensed her claws, "Well you want to hurt these humans, you'll have to get through me first."

"And me!" Patamon declared, moving up to hover by Gatomon's side.

A champion and a rookie? No problem.

"Lilamon, what are you doing?" came a purring male voice from the other side of the car.

Everyone turned to look. It was the cat and the vampiress, standing side by side just a little way off. They couldn't help but overhear all the commotion.

"What does it look like I'm doing, fleabag; I'm taking care of this nuisance." Lilamon waved her hand agitatedly in the direction of her opponents.

"We're here to scout out this place, not to attack humans." Millimon pointed out, much to Lilamon's dismay, "Now they'll go warn others that we're here."

"All the more reason to destroy them." Lilamon scowled, raising one hand to attack position again.

"Don't be a fool." Mikemon rolled his eyes.

Lilamon flinched as if she'd been slapped in the face, the moment of shock passing and her eyes narrowing, "What did you call me?" she demanded in a low, dangerous tone.

"I called you a fool." Mikemon repeated, unabashed, "If you start up a fight now then the noise will attract even more people, and then we'll have lost our element of surprise entirely."

Graeme and Jayne, still low to the ground next to the wrecked car, exchanged a look of confusion. The mention of war; the element of surprise; some dark Lord... It all sounded very much like they were planning an invasion.

Lilamon placed her hands on her hips, settling down onto the ground, still highly peeved with the champion-level cat, "So what do you propose we do with them?"

Mikemon drew a blank. As much as they couldn't kill them outright, they did need to be silenced.

"We'll have to take them prisoner." Millimon suggested.

That definitely did not sound good.

* * *

Coronamon ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Following him, a large bird with a wingspan of roughly a metre swooped and turned, easily keeping pace. The damn thing has come out of nowhere, taking the young cub completely by surprise. At the time, he'd been up a tree, trying to scout out the area and gain his bearings. The only warning had been a low hoot, then a pair of talons narrowly missing his head. Now, it had turned into a full-blown chase!

"Leave me alone, featherbrain!" he twisted as he ran, flinging his paws at the bird as it swooped in low for another grab in a vain attempt to swat it away. The razor sharp talons narrowly missed his head, the predator climbing back up into the dark skies for another pass.

Coronamon, panting for breath, stopped running. It all reminded him of the long-ago incident with the Birdramon, and he was sick to the hind teeth of being pushed around by everyone and everything that thought it could have a piece of him.

"No more running!" He lifted his fist into the air, shaking it angrily, "You want me; come and get me!"

The raptor – as if accepting the invitation – swooped in low, it's shrill cry piercing the cool night air, claws outstretched. Coronamon had no intention of being it's lunch.

"CoroKnuckle!" his clenched fist erupted into bright yellow flame, and he leapt into the air at his would-be assailant. The bird, in panic, flared suddenly, but not quite enough to evade the plucky little lion entirely. The punch connected with the stunned bird's chest, and it crashed heavily into the ground, knocked out on impact.

"That'll teach you!" Coronamon jeered. It was just a little bit further to where he had to meet up with the others, then it would be time to return to the Digital World to report on their findings. Without further ado, he resumed a more gentle jog back to the impact site. He was already running late.

* * *

Jayne had long-since risen to her feet, her hands folded in an unimpressed manner across her chest as she attempted to stare down Lilamon, "Excuse me, but _nobody_ is taking _me _prisoner."

Lilamon, growing weary of all the talk – she was a fighter and a lover, not a damned conversationalist – mirrored the girl's stance, shooting her daggers in her own version of that vicious glare, "You don't get a say in this, meat-sack. So shut the hell up!"

"You watch your tongue, weed. Or I'll plant you where you stand!" Jayne raised a clenched fist, trying to intimidate the ultimate level Digimon.

"Yeah?" Lilamon stepped closer, raising her hands once more to attack position, "You just try it, and I'll turn you into fertiliser!"

"Yeah? Well I'll..."

The argument had started some time before, and the five observers – Graeme, Patamon, Gatomon, Mikemon and Millimon – were all sat on the edge of the curb, looking on in boredom as they waited for the argument to end.

Graeme sat with his chin on his knees, eyes drooping heavily, just about ready do doze off.

"Is she always like this?" Patamon's high voice shook him back to reality. It took him a moment to realise that the orange and cream rookie was actually talking to Mikemon, sat just to Patamon's right with the same bored look on his face.

"Who, Lilamon?" the Calico cat asked.

"Yeah." Patamon nodded.

"Actually," it was Millimon – sat on the other side of Mikemon from Patamon – who answered, "She'd normally just have killed her opponent by now."

"Something tells me that Jayne wouldn't just sit there and take it..." Gatomon pointed out, sprawled back over the pavement, not even watching the verbal sparring match which was unfolding in the middle of the road. No doubt the only reason that Jayne and Lilamon hadn't been run over already – they were both clearly too immersed in their argument to notice any oncoming traffic anyway – was that it was getting close to midnight and the roads were deserted.

"Yeah, well _you_ can kiss _my-_" the argument went on.

"Do you guys really have to take us prisoner?" Graeme asked of the cat and vampire, changing the subject completely.

"'Fraid so," Mikemon nodded, "Can't let you guys go blabbing to people now, can we?"

"We don't even know what you're doing here." Graeme pointed out, hoping to get out of the bind.

"No, but the fact that you know we're here at all is too much info already."

"We're not going without a fight." Gatomon spoke up again, though unmoving, "I hope you know that."

"We figured as much." Millimon admitted without emotion, absently twirling her scythed staff in her right hand, "So I took the liberty of using one of my special attacks. You'll find that neither you nor the Patamon can use your own special attacks." She looked down at her close friend who sat by her side, "Unfortunately, that goes for you too, Mikemon. Lilamon is the only one who won't be affected."

"Bummer."

"Tell me about it." Patamon groaned, looking down at the floor, disillusioned. He hadn't even noticed Millimon move, let alone launch an attack.

There was a moment of silence amongst the group – with the exception of the arguing girls, of course. The sound of distant sirens a moment later was the only sound that broke it.

"Ah," Graeme rose to his feet eagerly, "It's about time!"

Millimon also climbed to her feet, using her staff for support and listening intently as the sounds grew louder. Whatever was causing the unpleasant racket was clearly getting closer, "What _is_ that awful noise?"

"Armed reinforcements." Graeme said simply.

"You knew about this?" Millimon raised her eyebrows in surprise, impressed by the way they had been outmanoeuvred.

"Yup." The human was clearly pleased with himself.

The vampiress considered for a moment, "Well played."

Graeme bowed appreciatively, all the while grinning.

The sirens were now loud enough to interrupt even Lilamon and Jayne's argument.

"You hear that?" Jayne gloated in apparent victory, "That's the sound of your undoing."

"Gah!" the fairy cried in agitation. She didn't like losing, especially to the weak, "I'm through with you!"

Quicker than Jayne could react, the flowery ultimate charged her attack, launching bright orange energy at the girl in the form of her Marvel Sho. Jayne's eyes went wide at the unexpected onslaught, and she found herself unable to move.

A large, moving object knocked her from one side, sending her sprawling into the hedge at the far side of the road. There was a large-sounding explosion – presumably the powerful energy attack hitting the road where she'd been stood moments before. Jayne lifted herself to sit upright amidst sharp-twigged foliage, and to her horror saw an unconscious Graeme sprawled out where she had been just moments before.

He'd saved her from Lilamon's fury, she realised, at his own expense.

She was about to climb all the way out when a white blur impacted her high in the chest, this time knocking her all the way through the hedge to the other side and landing heavily on her back.

When Jayne had collected her senses enough to take note of the world around her, she saw that it was Gatomon who had tackled her. The white Egyptian cat was already peering through the hedge, back at the scene unfolding in the middle of the road.

"Stay down, and keep quiet!" she hissed, Jayne too shocked to argue. Instead, she crawled over beside Gatomon, looking on through the gaps in the hedge.

The wail of sirens was now so close that they were almost deafening.

Patamon – standing now in front of the prone Graeme – was placed defiantly before the two ultimate level Digimon and the champion-level feline. He had no chance of winning that fight, but he showed no signs of budging.

Lilamon turned towards the hedge, disregarding the rookie entirely, ready to hunt down the human girl and that flea-ridden white cat. Her petal still stung, and she would have retribution. But a hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. It was Millimon.

"We don't have time for that." Her tone was level and unquestionably authoritative.

Lilamon shot her an angered glare, but knew it was true, "Just grab that human and his pet hamster and bring them with us." She spat.

Mikemon looked about ready to take on the defiant little Patamon, but it was Millimon who stepped up into the would-be battle zone, "You can either come with us willingly, or we can take you by force. It's up to you." She offered fairly.

The fact that Patamon steeled himself further spoke volumes of his intent.

"So be it." Millimon raised her free hand, the other gripping her scythe. Her fingers opened wide and a dark energy seemed to pulse outwards in waves, Patamon visibly swaying as they each washed over him. After a few seconds, he fell to one side, rendered unconscious by this new move.

Without hesitating for even a moment, Millimon picked up the human male, taking care not to harm him. Mikemon did the same with the now stricken Patamon, and all three henchmen fled into the darkness with their prize.

"Shit." Gatomon cursed.

Things had just gone from bad to worse.

* * *

So a little action in that chapter. That should all have been part of the previous one, but I didn't want it to be too long for a comfortable read.

Action isn't really my strong point, but I think that went ok. Let me know what you thought of it, and let me know.

Thanks for reading.

NKC


	10. Chapter X

**Chapter X**

"OK," Davis asked, his hands on his hips in mild disgust, "I don't remember signing up for wet feet."

Having taken Izzy's advice as technical expert when it came to moving from one world to another, the group of six Digidestined and their Digimon had followed the precise entry vector so willingly given up by the computer. In hindsight – having only a few minutes before emerged in the midst of a muddy quagmire of churned up earth – it would have been much wiser to have scouted out the area _prior_ to the jump, to see just what they were getting themselves into.

"I thought we were supposed to be on the plains, somewhere in the Eastern Sector?" Yolei frowned, her feet squelching as they stuck in the thick sludge.

"I dunno." Davis shrugged, wiggling his toes uneasily – wet shoes; yuck! "I didn't bring a map."

"Well I did." TK affirmed, standing a little way to the side. Kari was clinging to him, for balance as much as anything else, as she tried not to get bogged down. TK pulled out his D-Terminal, flipping the screen open and tapping away at the buttons, "Izzy uploaded this before you guys came over to my house, when he wanted to analyse that entry vector."

"According to this," Kari leaned over his shoulder, reading the display, "We're right where we're supposed to be; the plains of the Eastern Sector."

"So where's all the long-grass?" Wormmon – more at home in the mud than anybody else there – asked with concern. He'd never been to this part of the Digital World, but he knew what plains looked like, and this sure as hell wasn't it.

"It looks like..." Ken, his nearby companion, leaned down to get a better view of the darkened ground, "Like there's been a stampede."

"I don't think so..." Kari interjected, getting a good look at the footprints.

"Why not?"

The brown-haired teen released TK for a moment, carefully tip-toeing her way over toward the Digidestined of Kindness, eager to avoid falling flat on her face. She pointed down towards the collection of footprints Ken was scrutinising, "Stampeding animals – even Digimon – tend to all run in the same direction."

"And these prints are too erratic." He finished her sentence, realising what she meant.

They both straightened up, Kari affirming his conclusion with a friendly smile.

"Whatever made these mark was sure in a hurry to go nowhere." Cody noted for his own benefit.

"So the question is..." Yolei rubbed her chin, "What do we do now?"

"The same thing we always do!" Davis declared with fervour, "Improvise!"

"According to this," TK was still analysing the map on his D-Terminal, "There's a keep over to the west." He pointed in the direction of the silvery-blue illumination of the moon, "That'd be a good place to start. If anybody around here's seen Patamon or Gatomon, I bet they'd be there."

"Not the greatest expression of logical reasoning I've ever heard." Hawkmon said wryly.

"It'll have to do for now."

And the squelching cry of the mud echoed through the still darkness.

* * *

Something had changed. Darkdramon could sense it in the very core of his being. Something very powerful had just entered the Digital World, and from that feeling alone stemmed the mist of apprehension, clouding his mind and his dark heart, leaving in its wake anxiety and puzzlement.

What was this new presence? Where had it come from? What were its plans?

One thing was for certain; this changed everything. If it proved hostile to his goals, then he would need to postpone his planned campaign in the other dimension and reassert his claims here, on his own turf. Or maybe, with a little bit of good fortune on his side, he could bend this force to his own will, wielding it as he saw fit.

But first, he needed to find out what it was.

"Guardromon!" he bellowed , leaning forwards in his throne, the doors to his vast chamber opening slowly with a loud, metallic groan.

"Yes Sire?"

"Prepare a scout." The Dark Lord reclined once more, "I have a mission for them."

* * *

Coronamon was out of breath by the time he reached the meeting point, and he had expected to be the last one to arrive. To his surprise, there was nobody around when he go there. Surely they hadn't gone back to the Digital World without him?

Mind you, with Lilamon around, who knew?

"Typical." He fumed, the fire on his tail burning in angry symphony with his mood, "Just flaming typical."

He knew that he ought to be used to it by now; being mistreated by his so-called comrades. But for some reason, it still stung at the little vaccine lion's heart when he was left out. Though it only served to fuel his resentment.

His thoughts were interrupted by the heavy sound of footsteps, and the darkness parted to reveal Lilamon floating breezily through the still night air, Millimon and Mikemon walking not too far behind. The fact that they both seemed to be carrying something wasn't lost on him, either.

The creature in Mikemon's arms was, Coronamon realised instantly, a Patamon – the orange and cream of its body combining with the long, bat-like ear-wings to mark the unmistakable form of the unconscious rookie.

But the being in Millimon's arms was new to him, and he could only presume that it was a human.

"Prisoners?" Coronamon questioned disbelievingly as Lilamon landed in front of him, "You took prisoners?!"

"Very astute, genius." Lilamon quipped cruelly, folding her arms across her chest.

"We're only supposed to be scouting!" Coronamon ignored the insult, opening up into a rant.

Mikemon placed the Patamon down on the ground, the rookie proving to be quite heavy as a dead weight, despite the feline Digimon's higher evolutionary level, "We encountered a little... Resistance."

"Resistance?" Coronamon's tail was swishing back and forth behind him in agitation, "The humans know we're here?!"

"They do now." Millimon responded drily, resetting the prone Graeme over her shoulder.

"Lilamon here," Mikemon nodded his head in the flower fairy's direction, "let a Gatomon and a female human escape."

Lilamon seethed, speaking through gritted teeth, "It's not my fault _this_ human got in my way." She jabbed a finger-petal in the direction of Graeme.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is," Millimon interrupted, her usually calm and level facade faltering for a moment, allowing mild frustration to seep into her tone, "The point is we need to go tell our Master that the humans know about us."

"Right." Mikemon agreed with a nod, "... How do we get back again?"

An unexpected silence fell across the group.

"You know..." Coronamon rubbed the bridge of his nose, ignoring the heat of his facial flame, "I don't think we thought this one through."

So much for look before you leap.

* * *

"You know..." Yolei began, her foot sinking straight to the bottom of yet another muddy puddle as she tried to navigate the filthy mess that lay all around them, "I don't think we thought this one through."

"I blame Davis." Hawkmon offered, gliding in near-silence not too far above her head.

"What're you complainin' about?" Veemon, his usually happy-go-lucky demeanour replaced with mud-induced irritation, "You don't haveta walk through it."

"Indeed." Hawkmon conceded, "But I _have _to hear about it every five minutes. I think my ears are about to fall off."

"If Hawkmon keels over, can we have grilled chicken for eats?" Armadillomon asked hopefully, plodding along by Cody's side.

"Cool it, guys." Cody shot his friend an annoyed look, fed up with all the bickering.

"It's not too much further to go anyway." Kari pointed out optimistically. Indeed, the keep wasn't more than a few hundred metres ahead, the rocky outcrop which comprised its foundations clearly visible through the darkness.

"Solid ground..." Yolei gazed dreamily, as if the concept were new to her. Everyone else was feeling pretty much the same way.

Somewhere overhead, the wings of a Flymon beat in perfect silence, its presence obscured by the darkness, watching their every move.

* * *

"Shit." Gatomon cursed as she watched Patamon being taken away. Only through quick thinking had she managed to escape capture, and Jayne along with her.

"What do we do now?" the human girl asked from Gatomon's side, still looking through the gap in the hedge as the first police car pulled up next to the crashed vehicle. From the sounds of it, the ambulance wasn't too far behind.

"I... I don't know..." Gatomon's mind raced, "We have to get Patamon back."

"And Graeme." Jayne reminded her.

"And Graeme." Gatomon nodded her agreement.

Jayne just couldn't shake the shock from her mind. Lilamon had been about to shoot at her, from almost point blank range. And Graeme had come from nowhere and tackled Jayne so she didn't get hit. He'd taken the full force of the flower fairy's attack whilst Jayne had simply stood there like a deer trapped in headlights.

She owed him big time. And that meant rescuing him.

Jayne jumped to her feet, stepping resolutely through the hedge.

"Where're you going?!" Gatomon demanded from what had been their hiding spot.

Jayne now stood at the side of the road, brushing herself down with her hands before she ventured over to the other side, "I'm going to tell the police."

Gatomon frowned, her paws on her hips, "Tell them what?"

Jayne looked down at the white cat, her expression one of absolute seriousness, "Everything I know."

Before Gatomon could stop her, the headstrong student was marching across to the patrol car. Gatomon had no choice now but to follow. Somehow, she knew that Jayne would need her help to convince the other humans. The only thing that worried her was how they'd react.

* * *

"So what do we do now?" Lilamon asked impatiently. It all seemed so ludicrous now; being trapped in the human world with no way back to their own reality, and no plans for them to go on in this one. How could they be so sloppy?

"You worry too much." Millimon spoke with complete calm in her voice, a pleasant return to the norm.

"_You're _not the one he'll punish." Lilamon shot back, indignantly.

But Millimon wasn't worried about the present situation. Her unique abilities afforded her some control over the darkness around them, and in the deepest shadows of the darkest night, she was capable of some incredible feats of magic and witchcraft. All of this left her with a lingering sense on the fabric of what most would call "reality," and to an extent, she could feel the way it flowed and ebbed all around them.

She could feel the distortion coming before any of the others could even see it. So, when the gaping maw of a gateway back to their own reality appeared before them without warning, she was the only one of the four who didn't jump.

"A digital gate..." Mikemon marvelled, noting slight differences between this one and the one which had brought them to the human world, "Where did this come from?"

Millimon looked down at her short calico compatriot, "I would assume our Master sent it for us."

"Well," Mikemon picked up the still listless form of Patamon, holding him in his short arms as best he could, "I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth."

He stepped forwards, willing to be the first to pass through this time. Unfortunately, and quite unexpectedly, he encountered resistance, and the gateway pushed him back to where he'd originally been standing.

"What gives?" he looked puzzled, glancing at his colleagues questioningly.

"You must be doing it wrong." Lilamon told him in no uncertain terms, and she snatched the Patamon from his arms, "It's like this."

And she walked straight through, vanishing in an instant.

Coronamon chuckled at Mikemon's expense, "I guess some of us just have it, and others don't."

He stepped forwards, a second later finding himself flat on his back as the gate repulsed him.

"I guess some of us just don't have it." Mikemon teased with a grin.

Coronamon didn't even look up.

"I'm feeling a lot of energy coming off this gate." Millimon sighed deeply, then looked down to Mikemon, "Maybe only ultimates can walk through?" although that didn't explain why Patamon had been able to pass through. No doubt the Dark Lord had his reasons for keeping Mikemon and Coronamon in the human world, and it wasn't her place to second-guess her Master.

Mikemon bowed his torso, waving his arms in the direction of the gate, "Then by all means, please try it."

Millimon shrugged, checking that she had a firm grip on both Graeme and her scythe before stepping into the fray. Like Lilamon and Patamon before her, she and the human vanished.

"Well," Coronamon - who was now sitting up, his arms wrapped around his knees – rolled his eyes, "that's just perfect. So what are we supposed to do now?"

Mikemon's gaze hadn't shifted from the still-present gateway, though he had heard the small lion, "I don't know about you," he licked his fangs, "but I'm going to find something to eat."

Before Coronamon could so much as ask what the feline's plans were, Mikemon was heading off into the gloom. With a shrug, Coronamon opted to stay put, watching the undulating energies of the portal dance before him.

He couldn't help but wonder what came next.

* * *

"My Lord," Guardromon spoke with reverence, as if talking to a being he believed was a deity. For all intents and purposes, Darkdramon's strength surpassed his own to such an extent that he _was _a god. All the more reason to show respect and allegiance. Happy gods rewarded. Vindictive gods were known to kill.

"A report, Guardromon?" Darkdramon questioned, his curiosity piqued.

"Yes Sire." The metallic being bowed as best he could, "Our Flymon scout reports a small contingent of strange... creatures, and Digimon, heading toward the Eastern Keep. Almost a dozen in total, my Lord."

A moment of reflection and the vast, armour-plated monstrosity realised he needed to know more, "Describe these 'creatures' to me."

The way the simple Flymon had reported them was something akin to small Angemon styled beings, though without wings and armour, as well as lacking the usual heavenly decoration. Almost as if they were missing the completing parts of their data. To an average Digimon, they would prove little more than a momentary intrigue. But to Darkdramon – who knew exactly what these beings, these 'humans', were – they represented so much more.

"So..." he began, deep in thought, "The Digidestined have seen fit to grace me with their presence. Intriguing."

At least now he knew what the new power he'd sensed entering his realm was. It was a minor misfortune that it was the Digidestined, as he knew he could never convert them to his side. But, there were much worse things it could have been, and the destabilising factor these mere human 

children represented could be dealt with quite easily. Either by ignoring them completely, or by engaging them in battle and removing them by force.

It all depended on their reason for being there.

"Guardromon," the metallic sentry stood to stiff attention, "Keep our perimeter guards on high alert. And send regular scouting patrols to monitor the progress of these interlopers. We must keep a close eye on their progress without revealing ourselves to them. We need to know why they're here."

"Very well, Master." His loyal servant bowed once more, at least as well as any solid metal being can, "I shall send out a contingent of Flymon to observe."

"No." Darkdramon shook his head, a plan springing to mind, "This requires a more subtle, covert operation. Send in the Saboteur."

Guardromon nodded his acknowledgement, turning to leave. But before he could reach the doors they were flung open violently, revealing a highly agitated Aruraumon, panting and out of breath.

"Master!" she cried, "Millimon and Lilamon have returned!"

"Ah," he reclined in his throne, bringing his gargantuan clawed fingertips together and rapping them in anticipation, "Excellent. Most excellent. Send them in."

"That's not all, Master!" the small plant, who resembled a dark-coloured Palmon, turned and whistled loudly, causing a slight commotion just outside the doorway, "They come bearing 'gifts'!"

Darkdramon's intrigue was kept in check only by his cold demeaner, and he simply glared at the doorway as the familiar silhouettes of his Lieutenants formed within the dim lighting which dared pass through the doorway. He could see that Lilamon was carrying a small orange and cream Digimon – a Patamon, he recognised instantly. But Millimon was carrying a much larger being, one which seemed all too familiar in form and dimension.

His two servants came to a stop before his throne, carefully placing their respective quarry on the ground before their Lord.

"A human." Darkdramon marvelled.

Perhaps this was why the other humans – the Digidestined – were in this world. And maybe, just maybe, he could use it to his advantage.

"Guardromon; the Saboteur. Now."

* * *

The Digidestined at last found themselves on solid ground, a little bit dirtier and a little bit damper than when they'd set off. But all in all, it wasn't too bad.

They now found themselves in the shadow of the keep they'd first spied from a distance, and found it to be several storeys high with no visible way in from their current location.

"So what's the plan?" Yolei put to Davis with impatience.

"You expect me to have a plan?" his response was laced with an uninspiring mixture of surprise and genuine bafflement, "What makes you think I know how to get into this place?"

"Aren't you supposed to be our brave and fearless leader?" her hands planted themselves firmly on her hips, an eyebrow raised in question.

"That doesn't mean I know _everything._" He protested.

"Amateur..."

Davis was about to offer a witty retort – by his standards, anyway – when Cody broke into the conversation.

"Maybe we should just knock?" he suggested simply.

They all looked at him with confusion.

"How can we knock when there's no door?" Davis asked, saying what he assumed everybody else was thinking.

Cody rolled his eyes, "It's a metaphor, Davis. Try getting somebody's attention."

"Oh... Right." An idea popped into his head, "Veemon?"

"Right!" the little blue dragon nodded, somehow understanding what his partner intended with little to no instruction, "Vee-headbutt!" and he cracked his head full-pelt against the side of the buttress.

"Not quite what I had in mind..." Cody admitted drily, amazed that the little blue rookie hadn't knocked himself out in the process.

"A knock's a knock."

A deep rumbling noise caught all of their attention, and the very ground beneath them seemed to reverberate to the low booming tone. At first, it seemed like an earthquake. But as they watched, the solid stone wall of the keep seemed to crack, splintering outwards from a central point – right where Veemon had head-butted the solid-looking building.

"Veemon," TK could barely be heard above the din, "I knew you had a hard head, but this is ridiculous!"

As they watched, other cracks began to form, stretching outwards until they formed an inter-connecting mesh of gashes and lines. Surprisingly, they seemed to be forming a regular shape.

"An archway." Ken marvelled as they all looked on.

"A doorway." Kari amended.

Suddenly, the splintering stone of the newly formed archway began to glow a bright, eerie yellow. It reached a near-blinding crescendo, then vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared. And it took the rock to it, leaving behind a passageway. A way in.

"Neat." Davis grinned.

Yolei was just glad that it wasn't an earthquake.

"So," Kari took a step closer to the entrance, "Shall we go inside?"

TK stepped up next to her, grinning, and offering his arm in an overly-gentlemanly manner, "Let's."

From the within concealing boundaries of the shadows, a pair of obsidian and azure eyes observed the human/Digimon group as they imposed themselves upon the keep, disappearing into the maw. Once they were inside the familiar yellow glow returned, sealing off their only way out. They were trapped inside for now.

The being disappeared into nothingness, its deep laugh echoing in the darkness, a single word lingering in its absence.

"Saboteur..."

* * *

Somehow – don't ask me how – I've managed to do it again. I have my plans for each chapter written down, and I've only managed to cover half of this chapter's intended content.

Oh well. Guess I'm playing catch-up again.

Let me know how that one went. It felt a bit shaky in places, so any input would be appreciated. And thank you for your reviews so far. They do help.

Yes, RainbowSprinkle, Mikemon is usually female. But for the purposes of my story, I felt a male cat would be perfect. Mikemon seemed like the ideal template.

Thanks for reading.

NKC


	11. Chapter XI

**Chapter XI**

"_Graeme!" a soft, feminine voice called from nearby, "Graeme Hebdon."_

_The most delicate of touches to his right shoulder, and he knew in an instant it was her. She had leaned in close, her soft, gentle breath billowing lightly across his ear like a faint, warm breeze. The sound of her voice sent a shiver down his spine as all the memories came flooding back._

_It was only then that he noticed he was sitting in front of a computer terminal, coding of some kind plastered across his screen in practical mosaic. His mind was too foggy to make much sense of it._

_Looking slowly around, he realised that he recognised this place. He knew it from somewhere. The mint-green paint flaking off the walls in disordered blotches; the familiar scents of static discharge from the ancient, whirring CRT monitors; even the bright lighting of the early afternoon sun as it danced through the overly large panel windows in a glorious array of spectrum, it's intense heat mixing with that given off by all the active machinery in the computer lab, turning it into a practical sauna._

_Wasn't this his old school?_

"_Graeme Hebdon, what are you up to now?"_

_At last, he turned in his chair, the swivel mechanism so worn out that it took all his effort to do so._

_And there, right before his eyes, _she_ stood, as large as life._

"_I said what are you doing now?" her warm and genuine smile beamed through, the expression meeting with her sparkling grey eyes, turning her little smirk into a beautiful masterpiece. And the way that her dark, raven hair framed her face, it simply took his breath away, just as it always had, for as long as he could remember._

"_What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" she teased with affection, "Or should that be a Gatomon?"_

_She always had left him speechless._

"_Kyna..."_

"_He speaks!" she raised her arms in mock celebration, "You know, for a moment there, I thought you were broken." There was that trademark grin of hers again._

_What was this place?_

"_Ky... You..." Graeme struggled to find his words, "How?"_

_She crossed her arms, chuckling in bemusement, "All this time, and that's all you have to say to me? Grae, I'm hurt." She stuck her tongue out playfully._

_Graeme wasn't at all pleased, a deep, wrinkled frown settling uneasily across his feature, "This can't be real. This place... You-" his breath caught in his throat, "You're d-d-d..."_

"_Dead?" she offered._

_Graeme simply nodded._

_Her soft smile weakened a little at the edges, fading into a sigh as her happy demeanour drifted away, "Yes." She nodded slowly, "I am."_

"_Then how are you here-"_

_She raised a hand, forcing him into silence, "I'm not. Think of this as a dream; an echo of the past."_

"_That's very poetic and all, but why?"_

_She shrugged, something of her smile returning, "I don't know. It's your mind. You tell me."_

_Graeme raised a questioning eyebrow. From the tone in her voice, he knew she wasn't telling him everything she knew. She was holding something back._

_She read him perfectly, "What was the last thing you remember?"_

_He had to think hard for a moment. There was Patamon, Gatomon... A large Digimon of pink, green and white, styled in an overly floral manner. She'd moved to attack Jayne, lining up her hands like a cannon. He'd thought quickly, dived forwards, and..._

"_Ah."_

"_Ah." Kyna nodded in agreement._

"_So I'm unconscious?" Graeme tried to add things up. But his mind felt so disorganised._

"_Exactly." She smiled broadly, punching his shoulder, "Now you're getting it, Grae."_

_He rubbed his shoulder, out of habit rather than pain, "But that still doesn't explain what you're doing here." He was starting to feel exasperated, the tension rising. Of all the things that could surface from within his subconscious mind, why Kyna of all people? He'd gotten over that years ago... And he still got the distinct impression that she wasn't revealing everything she knew. She was holding something back from him, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it._

_Kyna sighed. Though her smile remained, the sadness in her eyes revealed a certain degree of nostalgia, "I never could keep a secret from you." She moved forwards, squatting down and leaning her weight against his knees, "OK, here's the deal."_

_The room around them began to grow fuzzy, every angular corner and sharp edge blurring into darkness until the only definition lay between the pair. It was an unsettling feeling, as if they were simply hanging in a void, surrounded by nothing but cold, empty space._

_But here with Kyna, in this bubble of reality, it was safe._

"_Your being here; it is no accident," she explained in plain tones, "Creating the gate, summoning Gatomon and Patamon to the human world, even meeting Jayne. It all serves a purpose."_

"_A purpose?" he frowned disbelievingly, "What purpose? _Whose _purpose?"_

_Kyna slapped him on the shoulder in annoyance, "Would you shut up and listen? I'm _trying _to build up the suspense here."_

"_Sorry..." Graeme muttered sheepishly._

"_Now," she pondered thoughtfully, "Where was I?"_

"_A purpose." He offered._

"_Ah, yes." A shallow cough cleared her throat, "The powers that be summoned you here, to this point in time. Everything you've created in your website - the coding, the detail, the very mechanism – has been engineered to allow you to fulfil a purpose. There's a task which needs to be completed, Grae."_

"'_Powers that be'? That all sounds very other-world-ish." If he were truly honest, he didn't know what to make of it all. How could a simple memory – as she claimed to be – know so much about all this? How could mere memory know how and why things were happening the way they were, or the way they were going to? Was it simply his memory playing tricks on him, or was there something more to this ghost, this echo, than met the eye?_

_There was no way he could ever really know._

"_You always were one for riddles." He scoffed._

"_And you always did love a good quest." She shot back in playful banter._

"_I don't suppose there's any way you could tell me a little bit more?" but then, maybe that was too much to hope for._

"_I'm afraid not." Kyna admitted, all humour set aside, the serious side of her resurfacing once more, "All I can tell you is that if you do what you have to, it'll all probably turn out ok in the end."_

"_If? Probably?" Graeme shook his head to clear his thoughts, "That doesn't sound too promising to me."_

_Kyna nodded, chuckling slightly in agreement, "No, I suppose it doesn't. But it'll have to do for now. It's time to wake up, Graeme Hebdon. You're needed in another world."_

_Before he could even say goodbye, the darkness – and Kyna along with it – vanished into the ether (or was it his mind?), leaving him alone with his thoughts._

_And then, he was somewhere else entirely._

* * *

"Is it my imagination, or did it just get colder in here?" Yolei questioned the group as they followed what seemed to be an endlessly long tunnel of gloom through the inner workings of the keep. Dim torches burned weakly along the walls, offering defiant but utterly futile resistance to the dampened walls and the humid air.

"We're going down." Kari answered, from a few metres ahead. She was barely visible though the gloom, despite being so close by, "It's definitely colder."

"I knew it." Yolei shivered, pulling her jacket tighter around herself in a vain attempt to keep warm.

They'd exchanged cold, sodden earth and mud for the dank, bitter chill of this hellish tunnel. Just perfect. And, on top if it all, they had no idea where they were going. Surely they all realised that this tunnel was already longer than the keep had been wide? There was no way they were still inside the same building. No way at all.

Mind you, this was the Digital World. Things often weren't quite what they seemed.

"Does anybody even know where we're going?" Davis asked, bringing up the rear of the group with Veemon.

"It's a bidirectional tunnel." Cody pointed out, "There's only two ways we can go. And since we came from that one..."

"I know that, Cody." Davis rolled his eyes, "I mean, where are we going _to_?"

"We're going until we find a Digimon we can ask some questions." TK replied from the front of the troop, leading the way.

"I sure hope that's soon. My feet are killing me!"

"So why don't you stop and take quick five minute rest?" Yolei offered with light sarcasm.

"I think that sounds like a perfect idea, Davish." Veemon looked up at his partner eagerly. His feet were so sore from walking on the harsh surface that even his blisters had blisters!

But Kari had her doubts, "I'm not so sure." She seemed very thoughtful for a moment, "We shouldn't split up the team. We don't want anybody getting lost."

"It's a two-way tunnel." Yolei pointed out, looking up and down the passageway, "How lost could anybody get?"

"I don't know..." Ken whistled, "This is Davis."

"Why am I always the butt of everybody's' jokes?" The goggle-wearing teen protested angrily.

Yolei didn't miss a beat, resetting her glasses as she spoke, "Some would call it convenience."

"Grrr..." Davis fumed, his hands clenched into fists by his side, "That's it!" he stopped in his tracks, Veemon almost walking straight into his legs, "Veemon, we're taking a break. _Now_."

"You're the boss."

Kari was about to protest again about splitting up the group, but she had to admit that Yolei had a point. It was a tunnel with no visible passageways branching off. There were only two directions anybody could go in, so even Davis couldn't get lost... Right?

She dismissed the thought out of mind, "See you when you catch up."

In the shadowy gloom - or was it the actual shadows themselves? – a being of darkness had been following the group of Digidestined, simply keeping silent pace and taking note; watching. Observing.

A pair of eyes, azure set in darkest obsidian, flickered in mimic of the weak torch flames all around, being careful not to stand out and get noticed. One of the humans – the "leader" if the stories she'd heard were to be believed – had stopped to rest his feet, the accompanying little blue lizard, Veemon, joining him for a brief respite.

Orders from the Master had been to collect information, take them prisoner if at all possible. This human would've been perfect, separated from the group and all alone, but for her knowledge of his past. Mind games had never worked on him before, his will too strong to be bent or broken so easily. And since that was her niche, her area of expertise, it made little sense to attack these particular two creatures.

But the others... They were far more susceptible to her particular brand of dark magic. And now, separated from this one resistant human child, was the perfect time to strike the rest of the group.

The game was afoot.

* * *

"Urgh..." Graeme groaned loudly as consciousness reclaimed his mind once more. The few lingering wisps of the dream clung, blurred and mysterious, to the back of his mind, slowly drifting away into memory.

Opening his eyes slowly, at first he thought he was blind. But the moment passed, and Graeme soon came to realise that it was darkness – not nothingness – that he could see. The ground beneath him, the air around him, were both as cold as ice, sending a shiver racing down his spine, urging him to sit up.

His movement was stopped only by the wave of dizziness which came and went in less than a moment.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up." A strangely glee-filled voice etched it's way into his skull like splintered glass, "I was starting to get bored."

"Patamon?" Graeme's head swirled so much that he couldn't make head nor tail of the voice, despite how familiar it sounded.

"Oh, I'm hurt!" the tone was still playful, "To think that you could confuse me with that little rodent? For shame." A very girly giggle accentuated her playfulness.

"Lilamon..." He realised at last, the world swimming fully into focus.

"Bingo." She beamed. She was sitting on an apparently wooden stool, propped back against the rock-face wall opposite, legs crossed and hands perched. The room around him was small, very cave-like in nature. That definitely explained the cold. But there didn't seem to be a way in or out.

"Where am I?" Graeme demanded angrily, sitting fully upright.

"Now, now." The flower fairy teased, "We'll have none of that attitude. If you want to get out of here alive, you'll have to behave."

"Where's Patamon?" Graeme demanded, ignoring the implied threat, "What've you done with him?"

Lilamon's smirk widened, though there was nothing genuine or pleasant about it. Graeme could all but feel the evil radiating off her, "All in due time, human. You'll just have to trust me when I tell you that he's OK."

He had no intention of believing a word she said, let along putting any trust in her. He'd just have to hope that the little orange and cream rookie was still in one piece, wherever he was.

"What do you want from me?" Graeme asked at last.

Lilamon rose to her feet, pacing over to where Graeme sat in his weakened state, and crouched down before him, bringing her face to within an inch of his ear.

She whispered silently into his ear, "Information."

* * *

"Doesn't this tunnel ever end?" Yolei whined, the combination of cold, wet feet and all this walking giving her painful blisters on her soles. Being outside had been bad enough, but now, lost in the dank depths of a seemingly endless tunnel, despair was beginning to set in.

"Don't worry, Yolei." Kari turned to face her, walking backwards carefully, "It can't be much further now."

"It can..." she looked down at her aching feet, "We're going to be stuck here forever."

Ken put his arm around her in an attempt to lighten her mood, "Cheer up, Yolei."

She faked a weak smile, but she knew he'd see right through it. Surely the others had to know there was no way they were still inside the keep? Where exactly were they headed?

"Hey, where's Davis?" Kari asked suddenly, noticing that he hadn't caught up with them yet. As she looked back beyond the group, there was no sign of him behind them either, "He should've caught up with us by now."

"Unless he's still taking his break." TK pointed out.

That didn't seem likely. It'd been well over quarter of an hour since they'd parted ways.

"Oh, you needn't worry." An eerie voice with a feminine touch spoke seemingly from all around them, "You have your own problems to deal with."

* * *

"I don't understand how they could be this far ahead!" Davis complained to Veemon as they quickly paced down the length of the tunnel. He'd cut the break short a couple of minutes after the others had disappeared from view, an uneasy feeling settling down upon his mind, urging him to do something - _anything_. He didn't know what it was exactly, but his gut instinct had been right.

The others were nowhere in sight.

"Maybe they're walking really, really fast?" Veemon offered, though it did little to lighten Davis's mood.

"I don't think so." He was starting to genuinely worry about his friends.

Determination overcoming his worries, Davis redoubled his pace, Veemon almost having to trot just to keep up.

* * *

"Please tell me I wasn't the only one who heard that..." Kari cringed. The stone expression on the face of the others was enough to tell her they'd all heard the voice too.

Silence hung heavily in the air, descending upon the group like a dense fog. They were all clustered close together, back to back, looking outwards in every direction. The passageway faded away to infinitum along both of its axes, darkness claiming any further vision. Kari felt very short-sighted right then.

A stark laugh of unmistakable evil rang out around them, echoing loudly off the barren stone walls.

Fear gripped Kari's heart, and she clenched her eyes tight shut for a moment, until she felt TK's hand seek out her own, and she drew from his strength, reinforcing his own in doing so. She managed to find her voice.

"Who are you?!" she demanded, "What do you want?"

A pair of gleaming cerulean eyes lit up the dull shadows between the burning torches along the length of one wall. Despite the forewarning, their appearance sent a chill down Kari's spine, resulting in an unsettling shiver.

At first, she wondered if it were a ghost. But as a being of dark grey and white fur seemingly materialised from nothingness, stepping forwards into the relative light of the flickering illumination, Kari realised it could only be a Digimon.

But it was unlike any Digimon she'd ever seen before. It stood easily as tall as any of them, dark and menacing. Tall, pointed ears stood atop its head, dark grey fur tipped with a snowy white, moving this way and that as the creature listened intently to the darkness. It's pale azure eyes were set against the darkest obsidian, offering stark contrast to one-another, though this contrast was not simply limited to the being's eyes. It's entire body, dark, shadowy greys interrupted by a fluffy white brisket, a white furred chest and stomach, and matching pads and paws to boot. Even the tip of its long, soft tail was adorned in this bright snow.

The only variation offered to this monochromatic menace was the dark brown of its gauntlet-covered arms, currently crossed impatiently over the creature's chest as it scrutinised these humans as closely as they did it.

A muzzle of a very vulpine nature did little to disguise it's wicked grin, "You must be the Digidestined." It was clearly female, whatever it was, "And here was I, expecting so much more than a collection of cowering humans and their _pets_." She added a little venom as she mentioned the partner Digimon, who had all lined up in front of their human companions as this newcomer had emerged, taking a defensive stance.

"What is she?" Ken whispered to TK in question, the blond-haired boy still holding his D-3 and D-Terminal. He tried to scan this new Digimon, but no information was showing up on it. Though whatever it was, it seemed unafraid of the three Digimon attempting to face off against it.

"Allow me to introduce myself." She bowed her head, never breaking eye contact, "I am AneiRenamon, mistress of the shadows and loyal servant of the Dark Lord Darkdramon. And, if I am not mistaken, you are all trespassing."

Suddenly, her arms were flung out wide in a move akin to a star-jump. A ring of dark energy formed behind her, and sharp shards of deep black formed a few inches in front of her face. Panic began to rise in Kari's throat, threatening to choke her.

"Obsidian Hail!"

The shards flew.

* * *

Right. Back to where I wanted to be. I've managed to over-write by two chapters; according to my notes, this should still only be chapter nine. Oh well.

Just an FYI on this new Digimon's attack. Obsidian Hail is clearly a (cheap) knockoff of the original Renamon's Diamond Storm. Much as diamond is one of the toughest materials known to humanity, obsidian is a very useful material. When sharpened, a blade of obsidian is sharper than even the highest quality steel scalpel, with a cutting edge that still looks smooth even under and electron microscope.

In short, a hail of obsidian shards would be very damaging, and not at all something you would want to encounter...

It's amazing what you can learn if you just look.

Anyway, let me know how it went. Thanks for reading!

NKC


	12. Chapter XII

**Chapter XII**

"So... Let me get this straight, Miss..." the police officer, looking a little worn and weary, leaned his elbow on the roof of the wrecked car and massaged the bridge of his nose. On the other side of the vehicle, a pair of paramedics tended to the now semi-conscious driver of the vehicle, taking him away and into the ambulance. "You're saying that a group of Digital Monsters from a parallel dimension emerged into our world somewhere around here, caused this accident, took your friend prisoner, then vanished back to wherever they came from in the first place?"

"Yes!" Jayne waved her arms in agitation, fed up of repeating herself over and over. This had to be the fifth time she'd explained the situation to him, and they were no closer to sorting it out.

The police officer scrutinised her closely, a disbelieving glint in his eye, "Young lady, have you been taking anything of a questionable nature?"

A cry of pure, unrestrained frustration leapt free from her lungs, causing the policeman to jump in surprise.

"Look." She said, cooling off somewhat, taking deep breaths to calm herself, "I _know_ it sounds crazy. But it's true!"

"Then where are they now?" the officer raised a questioning eyebrow.

Jayne clenched her teeth, holding her jaw tense in barely-concealed anger, "I told you." She spoke low and evenly, "They went back to the Digital World."

"Right..." he clearly remained unconvinced.

Gatomon, currently crouched by Jayne's side, had been watching with some bemusement. She knew that she really ought to step in and help Jayne out, but she'd experienced human reactions to her kind before, and rarely did they react well to talking cats. But, if the quartet which had kidnapped Graeme and Patamon were anything to go by, this could well be a real threat against this world. And surely it was her responsibility to help in any way she could?

Gatomon realised that she'd completely zoned out, lost in thought, and all the while the policeman and Jayne had been arguing.

"But it's all true!" Jayne insisted, waving her arms emphatically.

The policeman was, by now, stood tapping his foot impatiently, the stress-lines on his face tensing as his patience wore thin, "Look, _Miss_; this is bordering on harassing a police officer. Another word out of you about this 'monster' business, and I'll have to arrest you."

Jayne was about to say something, but bit her lip to avoid saying something she'd regret. She looked down at Gatomon, her eyes pleading for some kind of contribution from the feline to help convince this officer of the law. Gatomon nodded her response.

"Now," the policeman went on, still talking, "if you could kindly move along so my colleagues and I can do our jobs here, I'd be most gratified."

"Sorry, Officer." Gatomon rose to her feet, stepping a little bit closer to the policeman – though far enough away to avoid any reactionary steps he may take – such as lashing out at her with his baton, "But I really think you should listen to Jayne. She's telling the truth."

As it turned out, his immediate reaction wasn't to lash out at her with his club – or any weapon at all, for that matter. Instead, he simply met the cerulean eyes of the little white and purple cat, blinking once or twice before his eyes rolled up into his head and closed, his legs collapsing from beneath him. Jayne only just managed to dash forwards in time to cushion his fall – he was too heavy to catch.

Gatomon blinked as Jayne made the officer as comfortable as she could given the concrete floor.

"Not quite the reaction I was hoping for..." Gatomon said drily as she moved up next to his prone body.

"I'll say." Jayne had taken off her jacket, rolling it up into an improvised pillow and cramming it under the policeman's head, "You didn't have to kill him, you know."

"Very funny." Gatomon frowned.

"We'd better get one of his friends to come help him." Jayne moved to get up, but Gatomon made her pause with a motion of her hands, "I'll go. Otherwise nobody will believe you when you try to explain this mess."

"Good thinking, Batman!" Jayne grinned.

Gatomon rolled her eyes, then headed off towards the nearest squad-car. With a little luck, the next policeman wouldn't topple quite so easily.

* * *

Patamon felt as if a thousand Digmon were trying to burrow their way out of his skull at the same time. Needless to say, he wasn't feeling so great. Whatever attack that Millimon had used on him, it had a few after-effects which didn't sit too well with him.

"Welcome back to consciousness, Patamon." A quiet but steady voice greeted his opening eyes, bringing his mind back to full awareness. There, kneeling just in front of him, using her oversized scythe for balance, was Millimon, her pale face professionally devoid of expression.

Patamon had to wonder what she'd be like at poker.

"Where am I?" he asked weakly, stretching out his stiff wings and limbs, a gruesome click from his wrist making him wince.

"You are in the dungeon of the Dark Lord's castle." She explained, straightening up so that she towered over him, "This is his domain."

A thought struck him quite suddenly, panic rising in quick succession, "Gatomon! Where's Gatomon?!" the orange and cream rookie demanded.

Millimon tilted her head to one side, eying Patamon up with curiosity, "I'm sure she's quite alright. Lilamon and I didn't take her captive, so I'm sure she's safe back in the human world. We only managed to capture you and your human partner."

"You have TK?!" Patamon's eyes went wide.

"The human who pushed the female out of the way of Lilamon's attack." _The one who had almost outsmarted them all, _she added as an afterthought. His patience in waiting to let things play out had taken her by surprise, used to – as she was – the usual puerile scheming of Lilamon or Coronamon.

Some of Patamon's concerns were laid to rest as he realised that it was Graeme she meant, but he still worried for him – perhaps his best chance of seeing his friend again, "Where's Graeme? You have to take me to Graeme!" he insisted, staggering forwards as his joints trembled.

Millimon stopped him quite easily by placing the staff of her scythe in his way, "Not just yet, Patamon. You and I still have some business."

"Business?" Patamon stepped back a pace or two, keeping his eyes locked angrily on her face, "What business?"

"For one," she began, "Lord Darkdramon requires information from you. Second, we cannot allow you and your human partner to link up until we have removed his Digivice from his person. We cannot have you Digivolving to mega level and threatening our plans."

Partner? Digivice? What was she talking about? She'd already informed him that it was Graeme they'd captured, not TK. So how were they going to get their hands on TK's D-3?

Revelation erupted in the forefront of Patamon's mind, blooming like an early-spring blossom in a moment of epiphany. They thought Graeme was a Digidestined! No wonder they couldn't find a Digivice; he simply didn't own one. And that meant they had a trump card left to play – a way to keep themselves safe, as long as Graeme didn't go blabbing out the truth.

Patamon hoped the programmer was smart enough to work all this out on his own, and he clearly hadn't told them the truth yet or Millimon wouldn't be here trying to get information out of Patamon. The little rookie knew he could use this to his advantage.

A moment of thought, and Patamon finally spoke, "What... information?"

* * *

Davis and Veemon had broken out into an almost full-tilt run in order to try and catch up with the rest of the group. But after almost half an hour, and the onset of exhaustion, there was still no sign of them.

The messy-haired teen staggered to a stop, doubling over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Veemon, all the while by his side, plonked himself down on the ground heavily, his breath heavy but shallow.

"Davish, where are they?" the blue dragon asked worriedly.

"I don't know." Davis panted, sliding his backpack off his shoulder and setting it on the ground. He moved over to the wall, leaning back against it, ignoring the cold, spreading damp as it crept across his shoulders, "I have no idea where they've gone."

Veemon noted with dissatisfaction that his human friend looked almost as worried as he himself felt. Something bad must've happened. There was no other explanation for it. It was impossible to walk that fast, and the tunnel only went in two directions.

But still, it didn't make any sense.

"So what do we do now?" Veemon frowned.

"I don't know, buddy." Davis admitted, wiping the accumulating sweat off his brow with his sleeve, "I don't know where the others went. I don't know how to get out of here. I don't know what to do." A slight hint of despair permeated his voice like an icy breeze.

The two fell silent, the only sounds that of the water dripping from the walls and ceiling of their rocky entrapment; this passageway of darkness and gloom which seemed to lead into infinitum in both directions.

There was a faint beep, and Veemon's ears twitched. Listening closely to the empty silence, again a faint, far off beep echoed weakly through the heavy, humid air.

"Davish, did you hear that?" the blue dragon jumped to his feet, leaning in the direction of the sound.

Davis looked up, a little less red in the face, "Hear what?"

"That beeping sound..."

The two were silent for a moment, the emptiness returning.

"I don't hear-" Davis was cut short by the familiar sound, "A D-3!"

Before Veemon could even answer him, his human partner had picked up his backpack and was off at a sprint. It was all Veemon could to not to sigh, before he too was running after the sound.

Maybe the others were safe after all?

* * *

"So you see," Gatomon explained, slowly and simply, "We think there's going to be an invasion of some sort happening very soon."

The two police officers to which she'd been speaking for the last ten minutes were both worryingly quiet, but at least they hadn't passed out like the first one. At least, not yet... In fact, they'd seemed to be watching her quite intently so far, though whether that was due to what she was saying, or the sheer novelty value of a talking cat, she couldn't be sure.

After an eternity of silent staring, the pair finally blinked, looking at each other questioningly. It felt like another aeon before either of them chose to speak.

"So... What you're saying is; a bunch of creatures from another world – like you – are going to invade this university?" the shorter of the two asked, his brown eyes full of confusion.

"Pretty much, yes." Gatomon put her hands on her hips, "Then the rest of the world too."

"Man, this is deep..." he rubbed his temples, then looked to his colleague, "Should we arrest her?"

Gatomon frowned, somewhat miffed at the suggestion.

"I don't think so." The taller human replied calmly, "I get the impression she's being honest."

"But she's a talking cat..." the first officer pointed out, obviously. He still seemed to be having trouble absorbing all the facts. Maybe this was just him trying to wrap his brain around it all.

"Exactly. Have you ever been lied to by a talking cat before?"

The grin on his face seemed giddy, almost out of place. But Gatomon couldn't stifle a chuckle of her own. The officer looked at her sideways and winked.

"But... But" the short one faltered as his mind drew a blank, "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Finally, some progress! Jayne would no doubt be pleased.

"So what now?"

Gatomon raised an eyebrow. The shorter of the two officers had a point. What did come next? Gatomon hadn't really thought that far ahead, to be bluntly honest, so she had little in the way of a plan. What could they really do in order to stop a dangerous force of vicious Digimon from invading and taking over the world?

The tall officer, however, seemed calm and thoughtful, "I think we ought to call in the cavalry, don't you?"

* * *

"So the human world is protected by literally thousands of Digidestined?" Millimon enquired.

Patamon has spent quite some time answering her questions, reciting all he knew about the human world, what the people there knew about Digimon, and the deployment of the Digidestined all over the globe. The one little piece of information that he held back, however, was that from what Graeme had told him not long after his arrival, _this _human dimension was entirely different to the one he and his friends were from. It seemed that there were more than just the two parallel worlds.

All this, he held back. If he ever wanted to get out of here, Patamon had to be seen to be co-operating. And as long as he wasn't thought to be lying, they'd hopefully act on whatever misinformation he fed them about his version of the world.

"Yeah." He nodded, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, but he had to emphasize the point, "From every country, all over the planet."

Millimon, though, knew that the little orange and cream Digimon wasn't being as forthcoming as he was trying to make her believe. She didn't doubt he was telling the truth. Rather, it was what he wasn't saying that piqued her curiosity.

For now, though, there was little she could do about it. Unless he was willing to reveal everything to her, there was little she could do to persuade him otherwise. That particular trick was Lilamon's.

"Very well." Millimon nodded in appreciation, "You've proved very helpful. I'll make sure to mention it to your future interrogators." She turned to leave.

Patamon was taken aback, "Future interrogators?" he'd assumed that this would be it; that the information he gave them would be enough.

Millimon stopped in her tracks, turning back to face him, "Yes." She nodded slowly, watching for his reaction, "We may need further elaboration. And we cannot let you go."

"And Graeme?" Patamon asked with uncertainty rife in his voice. His only chance to get home seemed to be slipping away from him.

"He will remain with us too." Millimon explained.

Patamon's face was downcast, bordering on depressed. Cut off from his friends and his Digidestined partner, there was little he could do alone against an army of ultimates and megas. If there was a means of escape for him now, it was well hidden. His mind turned to clay, dwelling on that one thought.

But still, even now, there was some hope for him. Gatomon - somewhere in the human world still, as far as he knew - wouldn't stop looking for him or a way to get home. He knew her too well. She was far too stubborn to ever give up on him.

There was still light at the end of the tunnel.

"Curious." Millimon's voice shook Patamon from his thoughts. She'd been closely observing the little rookie, noting the changes in his mood and expression, "You still dare to hope, even now."

"Sometimes," Patamon whispered, eyes closed and his thoughts of home, "hope is all we have."

Millimon regarded the smaller creature with curiosity. Here was an interesting creature.

* * *

"It's their D-3s!" Veemon exclaimed, standing opposite Davis as the pair regarded the small heap of electronic devices, "But where are the others?"

"I don't know..." Davis thought for a moment, "Something must've happened to them."

"What?"

Davis shook his head. There was no way the others would let themselves be separated from their D-3s. It was their only line of defence in this world; their ability to Digivolve their partners and protect themselves. The only way this could happen was if they were captured and forced to leave them behind.

"An ambush!" Davis hissed in realisation.

"A what?" Veemon regarded his friend in puzzlement.

"An ambush!" Davis repeated, "It's the only way this could've happened; if they were ambushed before they could react and forced to leave their D-3s behind."

Veemon blinked for a moment, "You mean they've all been captured?"

Davis nodded grimly.

"But... How? There's no way in or out of here, other than the way we've come." The blue rookie dragon pointed out with fervour, "We'd have seen them!"

"Unless..." Davis rubbed his chin in thought, springing into action shortly thereafter, picking up all the Digivices and placing them into his backpack. He zipped it up firmly, making sure it was secure, before turning towards the wall behind him. As Veemon watched, the unruly-haired teen began running his hands along the damp stone surface.

"Davis..." Veemon felt concern for his friend's mental wellbeing, "What're you doing?"

"Looking for something!" he exclaimed in reply, knocking at the rock-face with his knuckles as he pressed his ear into the mildew.

"For what?"

"Shh!" a finger shot up to his lips to emphasise the point. Veemon, stunned into silence, simply stood there and watched as his companion lost the last of his marbles.

Yet again, Davis rapped at the rock with his gloved knuckles, ear wedged firmly against to slimy surface. To Veemon's surprise, a grin spread across Davis's face.

He pushed back off the wall, stepping back to beside his digital accomplice, "Veemon, think you can muster up a Vee-Headbutt?"

"Um, sure..." he nodded slowly, "Why?"

Davis's grin only widened, "Just trust me on this."

Veemon shrugged. What choice did he have? With great care, he aimed for the wall, and prayed that this wouldn't hurt.

* * *

"Millimon, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Patamon asked his captor softly, hoping his cooperation had earned him the right to ask a few things of her.

In response, she raised a questioning eyebrow, surprised that he would have any questions for her at all. Prisoners rarely asked. Demanded, perhaps... But never asked.

"By all means." She replied at last. She sat down in front of him, legs crossed, for one reason or another expecting his questions to last for a while. After all, answers only brought on more questions.

Patamon was silent for a moment, as if trying to figure something out. Then, "Why?"

Millimon looked puzzled. She hadn't expected the question to be so brief, "Why what?"

"Why are you doing this?" he elaborated, "Planning to invade the human world; plotting to conquer and enslave? Why have you sided with evil?"

"Evil?" she chuckled with genuine amusement, "Surely you don't view the world in such black and white terms as good versus evil?"

Patamon, of course, was well aware that things were never truly that simple. Shades of grey existed everywhere, often concealed by layer upon layer of uncertainty or indecision. But he also knew that evil existed, and that war and slavery were just two of it's incarnations.

"Why would you side with a creature bent on mindless destruction?" he rephrased for her benefit.

"Ah." She acknowledged, "You mean, why am I fighting for Darkdramon?"

Patamon remained silent, but nodded his concurrence.

"A very long time ago," she began quietly and calmly, "when I was little more than an upstart rookie, wandering the wastes of the Digital World without aim or purpose, I found myself completely lost and alone."

Patamon watched as she closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

"No purpose. No meaning." She carried on, a edge of sadness encroaching on her voice, "Nothing but an empty and inexplicable sense of loss guiding me from place to place. Years spent searching for something intangible; something that I knew may well not exist. But I couldn't stop. I _had_ to find it, whatever _it _was.

"Eventually, weak and weary after a failed attempt to traverse the northern mountains, I found myself lost in a valley of sheer cliffs and barren rock, whipped at by cold, bitter winds that would freeze the very soul if you only let them. There was little doubt in my mind that I was about to die, I could walk no further.

"And that's when _he _came. In exchange for my allegiance, he offered me food, shelter and protection. He would give me a purpose; a reason to exist."

"Darkdramon..." Patamon realised the Digimon of whom she spoke.

"Darkdramon." The vampiress nodded, "I've served him every day since."

A hollow silence descended upon the pair, laying thick and fast. It had all sounded terribly familiar to Patamon; a story he was familiar with, as if he'd heard it all before. And, in truth, he had. Many years ago, in a very different place.

"You know," his voice penetrated the silence with a steady calm, "I have a friend – a very close friend – who experienced a life not all that different to you. She wandered. She suffered. And she lived a life of pain like nothing any decent being should have to endure. She even ended up serving under some evil demon.

"But in the end, all it brought her was more pain, and more anguish than she'd ever felt before. But through her friends, she was strong enough to make something better of herself. She became more than the monster she was serving."

Millimon was stunned into silence. There was little she could say to counter what he was saying, if there was even any point in doing so. She wasn't exactly sure what his point was, and the inquisitive glimmer in her pale eyes only spurred Patamon on.

"I see a lot of her in you."

_How I miss you right now, Gatomon_ his mind added as an afterthought. Or perhaps it was his heart?

Patamon's soul sang for home.

* * *

Took a while to write that chapter, but I hope it was worth the wait. Just your basic story progression, but I hope it reveals a little bit more about Millimon and the way she feels.

Let me know what you thought.

Thanks for reading.

NKC


	13. Chapter XIII

**Chapter XIII**

Thirty Minutes Earlier

"Everybody duck!" Cody yelled at the top of his lungs, startling the others into motion. The group dived every-which-way to try and find cover, the obsidian shards raining down on them, narrowly missing the group.

AneiRenamon landed in near silence, a grin of sorts twisting on her lips indicating a certain degree of satisfaction. She'd missed her targets, but only narrowly, the last remnants of her attack now lodged firmly in the solid faux-granite floor. Reaching down, she wrapped her limber fingers around one of the larger shards, pulling on it firmly and loosening it enough to prise it free. She wielded it like a small blade, twirling it back and forth in her palm with practiced skill.

She could see a mixture of emotions in the eyes of her enemies as they each picked themselves up from the cold floor. Defiance, fear, uncertainty, conviction. This could be fun.

"What do you want with us?!" Ken demanded as he helped Yolei to her feet.

The dark-coloured Renamon snickered, absently tossing her new weapon from one hand to the other, "My dear human child; it's not what _I_ want that matters. It's what _he_ wants."

It hadn't escaped her attention that the groups' Digimon companions were circling around to completely surround her. A Wormmon, Hawkmon and Armadillomon... They were no real threat to her safety.

"He?" TK puzzled, frowning at the dark being they now had surrounded, "What are you talking about?"

"Why, the Dark Lord of course." She looked at the blond boy as if he were completely stupid, barely worthy of an answer.

Kari, just to TK's side, had slipped her D-3 out of her pocket during the conversation, pointing it at this newcomer, trying to gather some information on the strange beast. But as always with a new encounter, it could take a while for the information to process, and this instant was no different. The pink Digivice whirred and beeped as it continued its search.

"Kari, watch out!" Yolei's voice jarred her back to reality. She looked up just in time to see the little black shard of obsidian coming her way. Reflexively, she jerked, losing her grip on the D-3 as her hands fell away and stumbled backwards a few paces. There was a moment of anticipation and the world seemed to slow to a snail's pace as she waited for the inevitable thud as the little electronic device impacted with the cold, unforgiving ground.

But it never came.

A loud metallic ring echoed through the tunnel, sounding somewhere between the screech of a car's brakes and the twang of a metal thread snapping. The obsidian weapon had ipacted her D-3 right in the screen, cutting into it like a hot knife through butter, before impacting the wall and holding fast. A few blue sparks of electricity leapt from the damaged device before, with a feeble whine, the screen faded and the device split in two, falling to the floor and shattering into a hundred little pieces.

"My... My D-3!" Kari couldn't believe her eyes.

The Renamon – AneiRenamon, dark and menacing – sauntered over to where her weapon had lodged itself and promptly freed it. She ran a clawed digit along its surface, noting with satisfaction that it was still razor-sharp.

"I guess you won't be needing that anymore." She grinned pleasantly, twirling the black dagger around in her paw.

Kari was absolutely mortified.

"Now," AneiRenamon's pleasant expression vanished, raw, seething anger emerging in its place, "If you all want to survive this, I suggest you turn over your Digivices to me. I would not advise you to _force _me to take them from you."

"I won't let you take Ken's Digivice from him!" The little green maggot standing between her and one of the male humans declared, as if he had a choice in the matter.

"You won't let me?" AneiRenamon raised an eyebrow in feigned curiosity, "You won't _let_ me?"

Before Wormmon could reply, the black creature had vanished from sight. There was a moment of relief, but it was lost the instant she reappeared right in front of him. With a movement so swift he could hardly see it, Wormmon found himself suspended in mid-air by his throat. Her grip was tight and unforgiving, making breathing a challenge. He felt a sharp object pressed against his abdomen. Looking down, he saw the weapon in her other hand, poised to slice him open.

"Let's see what colour these guts are." she hissed, her voice low and dangerous, "Because I reckon they're a bit more yellow than you'd like to think."

"I would gladly give my life for Ken." Wormmon replied, equally low and dangerous. The truth in his words was undeniable.

"Then why prolong the inevitable?"

Wormmon closed his eyes and steeled himself for the worst.

* * *

Veemon's head was spinning. And ringing. And just about every other feeling it was possible to experience. But then, he had just head butted solid rock.

"Nice work, Veemon!" Davis cheered from behind.

The tunnel was seemingly spinning, and through no choice of his own Veemon soon found himself flat on the floor.

"Remind me never to do that again, Davish." He muttered groggily, clenching his eyes and holding his head to try and regain some balance.

Davis, however, had already stepped past his friend to the newly created hole in the wall. Taking care not to trip on the rubble, he leaned inside to see where it led. But its true depths were disguised by a heavy, humid darkness which his eyes couldn't penetrate.

They'd need to dislodge one of the flaming torches from the passageway before they could venture in.

"Hey, Veemon?" Davis turned back to his friend, a grin spreading across his lips which almost freaked the little blue and white rookie out, "Think you have another Vee-headbutt in you?"

Veemon grimaced. Today was proving more painful than expected.

* * *

The ground rumbled like thunder, the dark cold asphalt surface trembling in deep reverberation. A screeching sound like steel scouring deep through concrete pierced the air, at first distance, but drawing closer with each passing moment, reaching a crescendo almost painful to the ears.

Gatomon winced, looking up at Jayne in question. The response was a shrug and a shake of her head.

A Challenger tank rounded the corner, barrel turning to bear on them, the main body twisting into alignment as it rumbled onwards. For the briefest of moments, as it drew closer and closer, Jayne wasn't too sure if it'd stop before rolling them flat. But with a creak and a groan, the human-Digimon duo found themselves mere inches from the now stationary tank.

The gaping maw of the barrel drew down to face them.

"_Are you Miss Jayne Woodward?" _a pitched male voice resonated down the hollow cylinder.

Jayne blinked, costing her a moment before she could audibly reply, "...Yes..."

A moment of silence was broken by the electromechanical whirring of the tank's inner mechanisms, the long barrel moving up and away as the turret turned through ninety degrees. Gatomon and Jayne exchanged a puzzled look, answered by the sound of a hatch opening and a helmeted head popping up through the gap.

"Hello." The cheery old man, hair apparently a silvery grey and a small moustache to match, introduced himself, "My name is Major General Richards. I hear you have a problem."

Jayne simply blinked, looking at first between the General and his tank before settling upon a frown and crossing her arms over her chest, "The tank's a bit much, wouldn't you say?"

"Young lady," the high-ranking officer grinned beneath his moustache, "One can never be too prepared."

"Touché." Gatomon piped up from beside Jayne.

It was time to do some explaining.

* * *

Kari stumbled for the umpteenth time as the vicious, dark-haired vulpine shoved her forwards. Devoid of their Digivices and D-Terminals, all possible means of communication or escape were effectively severed, leaving the group entirely alone in the Digital World, and almost devoid of hope.

At least, were it not for TK's rebuke of the creature and the subsequent reassuring arm around her shoulder.

"Push her one more time, and I swear," He threatened, "Digimon or no, I'll-"

"You'll what?" the cruel being's icy eyes blazed with a barely concealed contempt, her jaw tensed and set.

TK's threat fell dry on his tongue, fading from his mind as quickly as it had come. Instead, he turned back to the direction he was walking, drawing Kari in closer to him in the hopes of shielding her from further shoving.

"I thought as much." AneiRenamon scoffed mockingly, "Humans; all bark and no _bite_."

"Where are you taking us?" Cody demanded from the front of the group. The path they were walking seemed almost identical to the endless passage they'd been in before the ambush. And, just like before, it felt like they were going nowhere.

He let his eyes wander briefly around the rest of the group, a collection of beaten and defeated expressions. Kari and TK huddled close. Ken carrying the limp though still living Wormmon, saved only by Ken's capitulation to being captured. AneiRenamon had only nicked his skin, but she would have gone all the way were it not for Ken's intervention. Yolei was by his side, carrying Hawkmon in her arms. And then he and Armadillomon, side by side, with little hope of escape or rescue.

"You will see, _human._" The word parted her lips like a curse, "You will see."

TK felt Kari tremble. It was all he could do to suppress the shiver running up his own spine. How the hell were they going to get out of this one?

Quite suddenly, as if from nowhere, before them appeared a great steel door – an impenetrable gateway scoured and gouged.

"Welcome," AneiRenamon spoke darkly, "To the gateway to the Dark Lord's castle."

The gates parted.

* * *

"My Lord," Guardromon erupted into the room, all illusion of reticence quickly dismissed, "The Saboteur has returned. And she brings bounty!"

For a creature of Darkdramon's nature it was difficult to even feign an interest in most things, let alone invoke genuine feelings of glee or excitement. But AneiRenamon, the unusual freelance being whose services and subtly devious methods he had come to rely upon for the more delicate missions, had always proven capable of engendering such energies within him.

Her missions were always of the utmost importance, and the manner in which she executed them was pure poetry. She had _never_ failed him.

"By all means," the Dark Lord's deep, booming voice echoed the short distance to his droid minion, "Show her in."

Guardromon vanished for only an instant, Darkdramon's eyes watching his shadow as it passed through the door and disappeared. When the shadows amidst the downcast illumination did return, they were strangely alien, yet wholly familiar.

"Humans." He hissed beneath his breath.

His suspicions were confirmed when five battered and bruised human children stepped into his cavernous chamber, accompanied by three Digimon, each looking as battle-scarred as the humans. They must have been the Digidestined and their Digimon, he realised. The ones he'd sensed before.

AneiRenamon, silent as a cold winter chill, followed the bedraggled group into the chamber, allowing the vast gates to close behind her with a loud, rusted groan. The darkened shadows dared to encroach upon the centre of the room once more, and the group came to stop half way between the vast mounted throne and the now-sealed exit.

The shadowy vulpine stepped through the human group, caring little for manners and simply brushing them aside, daring to walk right up to the base of the Dark Lord's throne before falling to one knee in a show of respect.

"Lord Darkdramon," she began, gaze on the ground at his feet, "I return with the intruders, as promised."

"The Digidestined." He nodded, showing little satisfaction, gesturing for her to rise back to her feet, "You never fail to amaze me."

The grin on her lips, twisting into something cruel and evil, gave her thanks for the compliment.

Ken, standing in tightly packed formation with his friends, took in the scene around him with intrigue as much as fear. These dark, gloomy confines reminded him a lot of his old castle from way back when. Though this creature – Lord Darkdramon as AneiRenamon had called him – seemed to radiate a form of evil far stronger than even that of his darkest dreams.

It conversed with the fox, but its words were silence upon his ears. It was the little mannerisms of the creature's being which drew his attention. Everything about it screamed of power and confidence; a fear of nothing. And the respect offered to it by AneiRenamon – an opponent which has dispatched the might of the Digidestined with an ease that could send a shiver down his spine – made him wonder just how strong this being truly was.

And then it's eyes fell upon him, cold and penetrating.

Ken felt his soul turn to granite.

"Escort our guests to the dungeon where they can do no harm." His tone was deep and malicious, "Then give word to my minions. Tonight, we move out!"

* * *

With practiced ease, the black knight rode over the final defence of the white army, laying waste to an opposing knight and asserting his presence on the deep incursion, threatening to dethrone the very king himself.

"Check." Mikemon declared, much to Coronamon's frustration, "Your move."

Tactical planning had never really been Coronamon's strong point – he lacked the ability to think more than just a couple of moves ahead. But boredom was an enemy capable of driving anybody insane. And, after hours of simply sitting where the portal had been, Mikemon had suggested they play a game.

Between them, they'd managed to find enough stones and pebbles to put together a pretty basic chess set, with a few markings on the ground between them laying out a decent sized board. But half an hour after they'd begun, Coronamon now found himself on the defensive.

He sized up the board with a scrutinous eye, noting with grim displeasure just how few moves he had available; none of them all too appealing. Eventually, he settled upon moving his rook to take the knight. Removing his digit from the pale pebble's smoothly worn surface, he looked to Mikemon with a grin, having just taken the feline's last knight.

To his surprise, Mikemon was grinning too.

He watched in horror as Mikemon picked up his queen, moving the stone to where his knight had been moments before, dispossessing Coronamon of his rook. In a moment of revelation, Coronamon saw Mikemon's plan: with the queen now on the second to back row, there were no pieces that could take it in less than three moves. His king was pinned to the back line with no way out, and on his next move Mikemon would bring in his own rook behind the queen and declare mate.

It was game over.

"I surrender." Coronamon fumed, giving up before he could lose.

Mikemon, ever the strategist, smirked without restraint, "Another game to me." He chuckled, marking a tally in the dirt with his claw, "That's three for three."

Coronamon offered a low growl in response.

"Care for another game?" Mikemon offered, already beginning to set the pieces.

"No." The hot-headed rookie snapped, clambering to his feet, "I don't like chess anyway. It's a stupid game."

"I'm noticing a trend here." Mikemon started, tossing the piece in his hand to the ground, "Everything you lose at, you hate."

"Humph!" Coronamon fumed in silent fury. The truth often did cut deep. Without another word, he turned his back to Mikemon and marched off into the darkness.

"You know what your problem is?" Mikemon called after him, "You're too busy focusing on the little pieces to see the bigger picture!" he didn't know if the lion had heard him, let alone taken it in.

With a sigh, Mikemon continued resetting the board. One way or another, the little lion would learn.

* * *

"By Jove, I hate it when evil trans-dimensional beings invade our realm and threaten to enslave us all for their own twisted pleasure!"

"It happens often?"

"Actually, this is a first for me. But still, don't you hate it?"

Jayne did little to hide the exasperated sigh attempting to part her lips. General Richards was now "fully briefed" as he called it. To her surprise, he'd believed every word of it. But his seemingly flippant attitude did little to persuade her that he was taking this possible threat as seriously as he ought to.

"So what are you planning to do about it?" Gatomon piped up, the General growing quickly accustomed to a talking cat. She sounded as frustrated as Jayne was with his current lack of action. She'd expected him to call in the infantry, the cavalry, or someone – anyone! Instead, he simply stood there in his tank, as of yet refusing to come out.

"Patience, my dear." He smiled warmly, "You'll see. We came prepared."

"_We_?"

General Richards was suddenly gone, vanishing back into the deep recesses of his battle tank. The static sound of a radio being used flickered on and off, barely audible over the drone of the idling tank engine. A mumbled voice, difficult to make out over the din, barked out a few orders before falling silent. An instant later the tank engine died away, the General reappearing from the still open hatch.

"One thousand troops are on their way to our location. You have nothing to fear." his smile was broad and genuine.

"You humans cannot hope to stand against the Dark Lord!" a high-pitched bellow made all three of them jump – though Gatomon soon fell into a fighting stance. It was Coronamon, the little fire lion, back to cause trouble.

"My goodness, what is that little creature?" Richards queried, his curiosity piqued by the strange little being which had emerged through the hedging on the opposite side of the road from where Jayne and Gatomon stood, "I've never seen anything like it in all my years!"

"This is one of those Digimon we told you about." Jayne explained, relaxing somewhat as the initial surprise passed, "This one's called Coronamon."

"He's a rookie level." Gatomon went on to explain.

"Rookie..." General Richards pondered a moment, "Sounds simple enough."

"Not as simple as you'd like to think!" Coronamon roared, letting loose a charged Corona Flame from the prominence on his forehead. The hot ball of flame flew straight at the tank's open hatch, directed at the General himself. He barely had time to duck out of the way, the flame impacting loudly against the tank's durable armour instead of his head. The tank absorbed the heat and force of the onslaught with ease, but the whole thing shook and groaned, skidding backwards a couple of inches under the sheer force of the attack.

"Goodness me!" the General declared, daring to re-emerge from his hiding place to inspect the damage, "Potent little fellow, isn't he?" He was about to draw his sidearm when Gatomon stepped into the fray.

"Allow me." She offered, the General holstering his weapon with a nod, eager to see what was going to happen next. Gatomon's eyes narrowing on the little lion, her paws raised in angry fists.

She was a champion level Digimon, but Coronamon didn't seem all that concerned. He was angry, and spoiling for a fight. Even a stronger champion level would suffice.

"I'm ready when you are." Gatomon declared, flexing her claws as she charged her primary special attack. She was ready to tear this little troublemaker limb from limb – they'd taken Patamon!

"Bring it on, kitty cat." Was the sneered reply.

"Hold onto your helmet, General." Jayne warned, moving closer to the tank to stay out of the way, "I get the feeling that this is going to be pretty messy."

And then, Gatomon charged.

* * *

Sorry that one took so long. But I wanted to get it just right, and I've been tinkering with my notes quite extensively. There've been some new characters emerge lately, and I need to be sure exactly where they fit into the plan.

Anyway, that was chapter thirteen, and it seems most of my predicted chapters are doubling up. There's just too much to fit into one chapter at this point. Oh well.

Let me know what you thought of it. And thanks for reading.

NKC


	14. Chapter XIV

**Chapter XIV**

For a long time there was only silence; a time of thought and slow deliberation expanding slowly into eternity. Thoughts of the past, present and future were laid bare, the thread of every choice made, every possibility and outcome, weaving together to form the tapestry that was Millimon's life.

The pattern of the past was dark and menacing, looming over her as bitter and tormenting as some dark, nightmarish shadow. It rested heavily on her shoulders like the weight of a world. The past was certain – it could not be changed. But the future, guided by the design of the present, had yet to take form. Could she change the pattern of her own life so easily? Was the cause of her unspoken pain – the void within her soul – the result of the deeds the Dark Lord had forced upon her over the years, opening her up to the full torment of the bitter cold emptiness inside?

There was no answer. She was in too deep. And a promise was a promise. She couldn't abandon her Master, or her friends so easily.

Patamon, all the while watching her intently, witnessed the brief flash of doubt in her eyes, quickly receding back into the cool, collected calm of her guarded expression.

"I will take you to Graeme." She said at last, barely louder than a whisper, "But you may only stay with him _until _we find his Digivice and disarm it. If you try to Digivolve and escape, we will be forced to destroy you both."

"Thank you." Patamon replied absently, his thoughts already elsewhere.

* * *

There was a strong gust of wind, harsh and unexpected. It drew across Mikemon, imparting upon him a bitter chill. The crude grid markings scoured into the dirt were washed away as the gust picked up the fine grains of sandy earth and scattering them wildly, removing the chess board before him from existence.

A dull whine filled the air, and the space around him seemed to warp and twist under some invisible strain. In a moment the calico cat was on his feet, standing firm and ready to strike.

But a loud bang and the subsequent concussion knocked him from his feet, and he landed face-first in the grainy earth. It tasted very acidic.

"Bah!" he spat, trying to get the fine grain out of his mouth. He was forced to use his claws to clear his tongue of the foul and unwanted mouthful, "What the hell was that?"

Clambering back to his feet, Mikemon dusted himself off. It would take forever to get the smaller particulates out of his brisket and well kept fur.

"Mikemon..." a ghostly voice called eerily from behind him, the cat spinning on his pads, moving quick as lightening. For the briefest of moments his heart had leapt into his throat. But when his eyes beheld a small squadron of Coredramon, a mixture of the quick-footed green and swift-flying blue dragons standing or hovering patiently, awaiting orders, he allowed himself to relax one again.

"We are the first wave." The blue-tinted dinosaur at the front of the group – clearly designated squad leader – introduced, testing its wings absently as it spoke.

Evidently, Lord Darkdramon had begun his invasion. A dozen Digimon was the first wave, and it would take approximately half an hour for the gate to recharge enough to transfer yet more data to this world from the other.

"What are our orders?"

Instantly, Mikemon's mind snapped into leadership mode, testing and trying out various ideas before settling upon a course of action, "OK, I want four teams – two blue, two green. Blue team alpha, sky patrol. One mile radius. Green team alpha, ground surveillance. Anything comes within one square mile of this portal, I want to know about it ASAP. Blue and green teams beta; encampment. This is to be our base of operations. I want it secured and reinforced as soon as is digitally possible."

There was a moment of hesitation.

"Come on, let's get this done!" Mikemon clapped his paws together forcefully. He noted with satisfaction as they all sprung into activity.

"Hey, you." He called after the blue Coredramon which had introduced the squad as it turned to fall in with it's comrades. The dinosaur hesitated only a moment before pacing over to tower over Mikemon, "I need you to make sure things keep ticking over."

"Sir?" a look of puzzlement washed over his lizard-like muzzle, "Are you going somewhere?"

Mikemon was already turning to leave, "Yes." he looked over his shoulder, "Think you can manage things until I get back?"

The cobalt blue monster nodded a response, though he seemed less than certain.

"Good." Mikemon turned his back to the creature, heading off into the darkness, "You better not have wandered too far, Coronamon." He added under his breath.

The little lion was far too fiery for his own good.

* * *

The room was most definitely spinning. Much to Graeme's displeasure, it seemed reluctant to do otherwise. Although the pleasant smell which danced tantalisingly through the air did alleviate his concerns somewhat. It held the fragrance of a lightly scented, delicate English rose; sweet, unobtrusive.

It made him feel sleepy.

Lilamon, sitting just across the way from the currently unresponsive human, was on the verge of a violent outburst of frustration. Despite her best efforts – and the current effects of her Un Deux Pollen attack – this human _child_ refused to surrender his Digivice.

The Dark Lord would not be pleased.

She knew that her options were limited. She couldn't simply kill the currently swooning boy; that would result in yet another harsh punishment. Her Lord and Master wanted him alive. But at the same time, there was nowhere else upon his person where he could've conceivably hidden even the smallest of digital devices. But a full and somewhat disgusting search had already turned up nothing. So he had to be hiding it somewhere.

"Tell me, Graeme." Lilamon tried on her best friendly, flirtatious tone, fluttering her eyes bashfully for effect, "Could I please take a look at you Digivice?"

The dizziness caused by Lilamon's poisonous pollen was, however, making Graeme's vision swim and his mind ache. He could barely see the flowery fairy, let alone think up a rational response.

Watching as the human finally passed out again, Lilamon punched the wall in frustration, grazing her already damaged hand petals. An angered and slightly pained growl escaped her clenched teeth, and for a moment she considered simply relieving the human of his existence.

Only the punctuated clang of metal against granite offered her reason to pause, and she turned to identify the source, a click of her fingers rendering one of the solid stone walls fully transparent. The resentful sneer held in Lilamon's expression only twisted further with added hatred as Millimon stepped from the shadows, a small and insignificant Patamon resting perched – somehow – atop the capped head of her staff, between the long, curved blade of the scythe and the short, sharp blade of its counterpoint.

"What do you want?" she growled, contempt openly aired in both her tone and expression.

"This Patamon is to be located with this prisoner." Millimon stated simply, the point not open for debate.

"Fine." Lilamon huffed, concealing the fact that she was happy for the excuse to leave the small cell. With the click brief clap of her hands, Millimon temporarily removed the mysterious enchantment which kept the invisible fourth wall of the cell in place, allowing entrance and egress. Rudely and deliberately, Lilamon pushed past Millimon, forcibly knocking shoulders with the fellow ultimate, "Don't think you'll be getting any more information out of _my _prisoner, _vampire_."

With an overemphasized tut, Lilamon turned and walked away.

"You know..." Patamon looked at Millimon from his vantage point on top of her staff, "I don't think she likes you very much."

"You think?" Millimon cocked an eyebrow as the pair watched Lilamon disappear into the darkness. With a simple wave of her hand, she gestured for Patamon to enter the cell in which Graeme currently lay. Casting off, Patamon glided gently the ground, landing in silence and looking over the young man to make sure he wasn't injured in any serious way.

"Thank you." Patamon turned back to Millimon once he'd finished looking over Graeme, genuine gratitude in his tone.

"You're welcome." She bowed her head in acknowledgement, "I will be back later to make sure that you two are OK. I'll also ensure that the guards bring you some food and water."

Patamon was about to reiterate his thanks when Millimon flicked her palm upwards, a solid stone wall appearing out of thin air. Presumably the one she'd lowered earlier to allow them entrance. A temporary solid wall. A novel idea. But Patamon couldn't help wondering if it was real, or just another of the vampiress' parlour tricks.

Padding softly over to the wall, Patamon settled himself on his hind legs a few small inches away from the cold surface. It looked real enough, and he could feel the chill in the air coming off it. Reaching forwards tentatively with his right paw, his small, stubby digits contacted with cold granite.

It felt real enough.

But still, something bothered him about it. And he couldn't quite place what.

With a sigh, he turned his back on the wall and flopped backwards, moving to sit against it. There was a moment of cold resistance from the stone surface. But what surprised him was the strange event that followed. There was a barely audible pop, not much different than the sound of a bubble-wrap bubble being popped – Patamon loved bubble-wrap, of course. A fraction of a second later, the little orange and cream Digimon was sprawled out on his back, his head seemingly inside a solid stone wall.

"Well, this is different."

* * *

Coronamon's fist burned with all the fury of an atomic fireball as he unleashed the full force of his CoroKnuckle attack, hoping to land a solid punch on the white feline before him. Unfortunately for him, she was far more agile than he, and she ducked below the blow, landing a deep slashing counter-blow across his upper chest in rapid retort.

The fiery lion cub staggered backwards in pain. His mane had absorbed much of the attack; though Gatomon's long, raking claws had still managed to strike deep enough to cut into him.

But Gatomon wasn't content to end it there. Like lightening, she leapt forwards into the air, claws extended, aiming straight at Coronamon's head. It was all the rookie lion could do to drop like a dead weight, praying that he could fall below her oncoming attack. As he hit the deck he could feel the very tip of the white cat's sharp claws draw across the top of his head, grazing but not cutting.

Having missed her target, Gatomon allowed the momentum of her leap to carry her onwards, landing palms flat on the floor and rolling forwards into a ball. Coiled, she felt her feet contact the ground, springing outwards and flipping into the air, landing gracefully after a half-twist to face the still floored Coronamon.

He saw the whole thing, barely able to conceal his amazement at such mobile agility.

Gatomon's fighting pose returned in the blink of an eye, the angry scowl on her face convincing Coronamon that she was contemplating killing him outright.

With as much energy as he could muster, Coronamon summoned his Petit Prominence special, wrapping his entire body in churning flame. But Gatomon, moving with all the poetic grace and lightening speed which her champion form afforded her, unleashed a rapid succession of Lightening Paw attacks, her clawed hands moving too quickly for the flame to touch.

The sheer force of her merciless onslaught sent Coronamon reeling, flung backwards through the air like a crashing meteorite. He landed with a heavy thud on the not too far away grass, the last of his defensive flame burning out until all that remained was the battered and bloody rookie beneath.

Gatomon stood beside the spot where Coronamon had laid not mere moments before, panting heavily to catch her breath, claws by her side still poised to strike. Her angered gaze was locked firmly upon the deflated rookie, watching for any indication that he would move to attack again. When all he did was simply lay there breathing, she finally allowed her guard to fall enough to approach him.

Coronamon felt the bitter twinge of fear as Gatomon leaned over him. There was no forgiveness in her eyes. No mercy to be found.

As he watched, she raised a paw, no doubt ready to finish him off. Screwing his eyes tight shut, Coronamon resigned himself to his inevitable fate.

But the end didn't come.

Daring to open a single eye he saw Gatomon, eyes closed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in thought.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" he asked at last in a shaky voice, barely much louder than a whisper.

Gatomon opened her eyes to the question, the anger subsiding, replaced instead by a steadfast resolve, "I'd gain nothing by simply killing you." She pointed out with some scorn.

"Then what?" the fire lion, aching in places he wasn't aware were capable of aching, propped himself up as best he could.

"You're going to tell me where Patamon is." She pointed at him meaningfully with a single clawed digit, "And you're going to tell me _now_."

"I'm afraid he can't do that." An all too familiar tone called from the far side of the road. Looking back over her shoulder, Gatomon saw the easily recognisable form of the calico cat, Mikemon, standing in the gaping alcove of the hedged border.

"That would be against the rules." He grinned.

Frustration welling, Gatomon lifted her claws back into fighting position, ready to issue a verbal – and possibly physical - warning. But Mikemon countered her by mimicking the move.

"I wouldn't advise it, Gatomon." He warned in even tone, "We may be the same level, with the exact same strengths and the exact same weaknesses, but I'm willing to bet _that_ little bout with Coronamon wore you out a little bit more than you're letting on."

Gatomon swore under her breath.

"You saw all that?!" Coronamon demanded angrily, ignoring the pain which followed his knee-jerk reaction, "Why didn't you help me?!"

"You learn more through mistake than example." He pointed out simply.

Coronamon fumed silently.

"Tired or not," Gatomon snarled, "One way or another, one of you two is going to tell me where you've taken Patamon."

"I don't think you realise just how outnumbered you are, Gatomon." Mikemon chuckled, only serving to fuel her anger.

Without warning, Mikemon felt something grasp him by the ruff of his neck and hoist him into the air. Swinging his arms and his legs to try and get free from his captor, he span slowly a few feet off the ground, eventually coming into view of two bemused green eyes.

"Jayne." He recalled the human's name instantly.

"Mikemon." She greeted in kind, "Pleasure to see you again."

"Indeed." He nodded, "Though you seem to have me at somewhat of a disadvantage."

"I'd call _that_ an understatement." She rolled her eyes at him, not letting go.

"Would you kindly put me down?" his voice strained, patience wearing thin.

Jayne, however, shook her head, "I don't think that's all too likely now, do you?"

A flare of anger went off behind Mikemon's eyes, and his voice became low and dangerous, "Are you aware of what I am capable of doing to you, _human_?" there was no way of mistaking the blatant threat.

For her part, Jayne seemed wholly unintimidated, "Care to push me, _Digimon_?" she retorted with an equally dangerous tone.

Even Gatomon was surprised by how bold Jayne seemed to be. It managed to catch Mikemon off-guard, throwing him off completely. How could he threaten somebody who wasn't scared of him?

An angry snarl parted his lips, and he lashed out at the human girl who had him suspended in mid air. But having seen him tense a moment or two before the onslaught, Jayne was well prepared, and with a simple flick of the wrist, moved him out of range, still holding him firmly by the ruff as he tried to claw at her with his Cat Claw attack.

After a few moments of unrewarding slashing and frustrated yet empty threats, Mikemon fell still, fuming inside.

"Ready to co-operate now, are we?" Jayne patronised.

Gatomon grinned, shaking her head. Jayne simply winked in her direction.

"How can you do this?!" Mikemon raged.

"Oh, please." Jayne laughed him off, "I grew up with cats as pets. I think I know how to avoid getting clawed by a small, overzealous house pet."

Despite the clear indignity of his currently compromising position, Mikemon crossed his arms and scowled.

"Now," Jayne lifted him up to face level, "You were going to tell us what you've done with Patamon and Graeme."

Throughout all of this, General Richards had sat in bemused silence, taking it all in. This enemy's weakness seemed to be its clear arrogance, and he noted it with some satisfaction. Arrogance and overconfidence could be easily countered by not over-estimating the capabilities of his own defence. Though one thing remained in spite of all this.

"Note to self:" he whispered to nobody in particular, "Never, _ever_ piss these two ladies off."

He picked up his radio, ready to contact HQ.

* * *

And that's the end of that chapter. A little action there, so let me know what you thought.

Digidestined taken prisoner, Patamon back with Graeme and Gatomon and Jayne taking on two of the Lieutenants all by themselves. Things sure are moving forwards.

Anyway, leave a review. Speak your mind. And above all, I hope you enjoyed.

NKC


	15. Chapter XV

**Chapter XV**

The darkness was everywhere, standing defiantly against the illuminating onslaught of the flickering torch which was now barely more than a dim. faded smoulder in Davis's hand. Truth be told, he was actually quite glad that it was dimming. Wherever they currently were, it was clearly some kind of fortification; several times already they'd nearly bumped into the resident Digimon, narrowly escaping by ducking into small alcoves or hidden crevices.

The encounters were growing more frequent, and Davis wasn't sure how much longer they could avoid being seen.

"We need a plan..." he voiced his thoughts without realising, Veemon easily within earshot.

The little blue reptile offered an answer anyway, "If they've got the others held captive, we need to find the dungeon."

"Yeah, but that's easier said than done!" Davis complained, stepping around a particularly wet patch of the harsh stone floor, "This place is like a maze!"

Veemon's ears twitched in interruption of his thoughts as they caught the sound of approaching footsteps, "Davish, we have to hide! Somebody's coming!"

Frantically, they both looked around for somewhere to conceal themselves. Off to Davis's left he saw what appeared to be the entrance to a small corridor, stooped in gloom and shadows. It was perfect.

As the footfalls drew nearer, he grabbed Veemon by the arm and pulled him quickly over to his chosen spot. The darkness engulfed them in an instant, rendering them all but invisible. Davis pressed himself firmly back against the wall to keep out of sight. Sure enough, a Sorcerymon walked past, his staff illuminating the way.

Davis held his breath until the short wizard had passed from sight.

A loud sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"Davish..." Veemon whined quietly, causing Davis to turn and look.

"What is it Veemon?"

"D'you think you could put me down now? My arm's gone dead."

Davis grinned sheepishly, realising that he was holding his partner firmly by the wrist a good foot or two off the ground. He was amazed that Veemon hadn't cried out in pain; it looked so uncomfortable, it surely had to hurt.

"Sorry..." Davis muttered, placing Veemon on the ground and letting him go, "A bit too tense for my own good."

"No kiddin'." Veemon mumbled, rubbing his wrist to get the blood flowing again. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Veemon sat down on the bitterly cold floor, "So what's the plan?"

Davis shrugged, "I guess we keep on looking." Was his simple yet hopefully effective idea.

Veemon stretched his arms out behind his neck, his sore wrist giving off a sickening click which caused Davis to wince, "That was a close call," Veemon pointed out, leaning back against the rough surface of the wall, "We need to be veryYYARGH!"

Davis blinked in disbelief, "Veemon?" the small blue dragon had completely vanished, apparently straight through a solid wall, "Veemon?"

He scurried over to the sheer surface as quickly as he could on his hands and knees, ignoring the sandpaper-like friction as he scuffed his kneecaps and palms. Veemon was gone... He'd really vanished. Tentatively, Davis reached out and touched the palm of his hand to the frigid rock. It was a solid wall. But his eyes had seen Veemon vanish right through it, hadn't they?

"This is crazy!" Davis declared, baffled. Wiping his brow in thought he turned to sit, trying to resolve what he'd seen, "It's not possible..."

Slouching a little, Davis absentmindedly leaned back against the rock just as Veemon had. And, just like Veemon, he fell straight through it, knocking his head on the very real granite floor.

"Ouch..." he cringed in pain.

"Hi there!" a cheery voice welcomed him, Davis's eyes flying wide open in a flash. An instant later he was sat upright, turning around to view his surroundings.

"Usual absent look." The voice chuckled again.

"That's Davish for you." Came a second.

It took a moment for the messy haired teen's vision to clear fully, but when it did he wasn't too sure he could believe his eyes.

"Veemon?" he recognised the blue dinosaur instantly. But, less likely, the creature by his side took a moment longer to register, "Patamon, is that really you?"

The hovering rookie smiled broadly, "In the fur."

"You didn't bang your head _that _hard, Davish." Veemon reassured, noting the confused look on his friend's face, "It's real."

"No, I believe that." He nodded, "I'm just trying to figure out who that is."

Veemon's gaze fell upon the spot to which Davis was pointing, a second human laid there unconscious.

"Oh," Patamon flapped over to the prone body, "This is Graeme. Trust me, it's a long story."

"I think," Davis ran a hand through his hair, "we have the time."

* * *

The sound of literally hundreds of guns being cocked would be enough to make just about any grown man wet himself. Especially when said guns are in the hands of some of the most experienced, best equipped military personnel in the world. It'd be pretty stupid to think about doing anything else _besides_ wet yourself, or at least cry like a baby about your own impending doom.

But then, Mikemon was not a man. Sure, a few thousand rounds of ammunition unloaded into his small feline from would hurt like hell, most likely even kill him. But he was a Digimon. It would take far more than a simple lead slug to keep him from reconfiguring.

Who knew, maybe he'd come back as something else this time? An Agumon, maybe. He'd always wondered how it'd feel to breathe fire.

"So tell us, my feline friend," the rather jolly old human male in the funny hat smiled in what seemed a surprisingly friendly manner, "what are your intentions in our world?"

It was strange to have an enemy treat him with such respect. As the saying went, manners were free. But in the digital world, everything had a price. Food, shelter, respect... Your life. That was the way things worked.

This human demanded nothing beyond a simple answer.

Still, Mikemon couldn't afford to reveal the entirety of the Dark Lord's plan. The fate that awaited deserters was an excruciatingly long time in the torture chamber, before being allowed to die and reconfigure.

He'd seen it happen before, and he wasn't willing to be an active participant in such things if he could help it.

A bitter shudder travelled visibly up his spine.

"Well?" the human pressed again.

Mikemon looked around, noting every barrel of every gun currently trained on him, considering all his options.

"Don't tell them anything." Coronamon warned in a whisper from just over Mikemon's left shoulder.

The little fire lion was tied to him rather crudely with a length of rope. It was a very human thing to do to try and keep the pair from fighting back. They were tied together by the wrists, each pinned behind their back. Mikemon had already tried, but the harder he pulled against the bonds the tighter the knot became, until it dug into his wrists almost painfully.

"I'm not going to tell them anything." Mikemon whispered back, "Think you can burn through the ropes? Use that little CoroKnuckle attack of yours?"

"And get torn to shreds by a rain of bullets? No thanks." Coronamon snorted.

"Trust me!" Mikemon hissed, wanting the fiery rookie to keep his voice down, "I have a plan."

His only hope was that it'd work.

* * *

The deepest shadows of the vast castle were said to be the final resting place of many an evil soul, taking form on the deepest of nights by the fullest of moons and roaming the endless halls, perhaps to seek out a final penance and free themselves from the eternal damnation of limbo, maybe to gain entrance to some ethereal place of rest.

These were the dark myths passed down from one generation of Digimon to the next, rife amongst the simple folk who lived their lives somewhere between fable and folklore.

To Millimon, the darkened corners of even the most lonesome and quiet corner of the castle did little to instil a fear in her. For almost as long as she could recall, she had walked these halls, sensing no real presence other than her own or that of her fellows as they went about their business. There were no lost souls here, no lingering presence from the long since deceased. She knew this well, from somewhere deep within herself. But such legends served to keep the other servants away, and permit her this welcome solace.

Or at least, it usually did. But tonight, something was different. Something stalked her in the shadows. Nothing from another world; no unholy dead spirit with intent to haunt her. This being was very much alive. She could sense its aura, shadowing her in the darkness. The bitter tang of its empty soul tormented the deepest recesses of her mind, never waning for a moment until she finally knew it was upon her.

"You can come out of hiding now." She spoke to nobody, voice echoing off the harsh surfaces all around her until it faded into the distant darkness ahead. She turned her head just enough to look back over her shoulder, seeing nothing but darkness, "I know you're there." She spoke quietly again.

At first, there was nothing. But in the time it took for the reticent vampiress to draw another silent breath, the air seemed to shimmer and thicken, eventually taking the form of a darkened fox with which she was all too familiar.

"AneiRenamon." She nodded a greeting with flat deference.

"Millimon." Was the equally stoic response, "I've been following you for quite some time."

"At least since the Armoury." Millimon pointed out, letting the rookie know that she'd been well aware of her every move. This creature, whilst to be respected for her strength and skill, was not to be trusted in Millimon's eyes. She was a mercenary, no doubt ready to sell out to the highest bidder. She had always wondered what price her Master had paid to gain the services of such a being. "What do you want?"

Millimon planted her staff firmly on the ground, turning now to fully face AneiRenamon.

"The night often brings me here." Was the somewhat enigmatic response from the fox, her cold and icy eyes revealing nothing of her true intent, if she had any, "I had come to wonder what brings you here also."

Millimon hesitated for a moment or two, not fully certain as to what answer she should offer. In reality, there were many reasons, and yet at the same time no grand purpose to her incursions to this deep quarter of the castle. In the end, there was only one answer, "I come here to... think."

"Ah, no great mysteries of the Universe, I hope." AneiRenamon all but teased, "Would you care for some company in your great ponderance?"

"Sure." Was Millimon's guarded response. The request had been wholly unexpected, so her quick reply had been more to maintain good manners than any true desire for company. She regretted the acceptance almost as soon as she'd said it. But it was too late to back down now.

Turning back in the prior direction of her travels, Millimon began a slow yet steady pace, her staffed scythe doubling up as a walking stick as she pressed onwards, it's solid, metallic clang against the volcanic rock of the floor echoing out around them in time with every footstep. AneiRenamon fell into pace beside her, Millimon noting the distinct lack of footfall from the rookie. Had Millimon not been able to feel her presence, she may well have believed she was walking alone still.

"So," AneiRenamon spoke after a short time walking, breaking the silence and Millimon's train of thought, "what do you think of Darkdramon's plans for the human world?"

"I think little of it." Millimon replied carefully, wondering if the rookie was testing her in some way, probing for some purpose or other. "I follow the orders given to me by my Dark Lord."

"Oh, come now." AneiRenamon chuckled, once again mocking the ultimate, "No need to be coy about it, Millimon. Your Master isn't here now. Surely you have an opinion of some sort?"

Mild irritation welled up within Millimon's gut, a feeling which she quickly suppressed before it could manifest itself in either her tone or her expression. She was certain now that the dark vulpine being had some form of ulterior motive, and it only caused her distrust of the creature to intensify, "My opinion is my own." Millimon spoke in low, even tone in order to make it sound final, "and I like to keep it that way."

AneiRenamon, either not noticing or not caring, continued on unabashed, "You can't fool me that easily. Everybody had their own take on things, even you. I think you're just too scared of being labelled a dissident."

It took much strength of will for Millimon to keep her temper in check, and it boiled over for a moment before she could fully calm herself, "Who are _you_ to question _my_ loyalty?!" she demanded.

For her part, AneiRenamon simply chuckled in light amusement, intimidation far from her mind, "Question your loyalty? Far from it. I only wish to understand it."

Millimon, marginally calmer than a moment before, raised an eyebrow, "What do you know of _any_ form of loyalty, mercenary?"

"More than you may think." The fox turned her head, looking directly at Millimon for the first time since opening the conversation, "I can tell you don't trust me."

Millimon wasn't surprised at all. It wasn't as if she ever hidden the fact. It wasn't as if she needed to.

"I can feel it from you every time you look my way."

"You've done nothing to earn my trust." The vampiress pointed out, fully calmed once more. She felt a slight rise from AneiRenamon, as if her own temper were heating up by a few degrees.

"I neither want your trust, nor have use for it." The shadowy being replied with light venom in her tone, "I am simply curious as to why, given all I've done for your Dark Lord, you still don't trust me at all."

"You sell your services to whoever is willing to pay you the most. The only thing I _can _trust you to do is look out for the betterment of your own circumstance, not that of my Master."

AneiRenamon stopped in her tracks, Millimon turning to face her. The cold fury burning in the vulpine's eyes was unmasked, bared in full force for Millimon to see. Her white, three digit paws clenched and unclenched in flexing fists, and for a moment Millimon felt the vaguest wisp of energy build within AneiRenamon's aura as she prepared to attack. But it passed as quickly as it had begun, Millimon sensing the desire to fight wash away from her would-be opponent, replaced instead by a frustrated resentment.

"I take my leave of you now, Millimon." The anger in her voice wasn't concealed in the slightest, but it did little to intimidate the ultimate, "May our paths never cross in the field of battle. I would fear for you if they did."

The air around AneiRenamon shimmered as the boundary between realms was rewoven around her body, pulling her out of phase with reality. Millimon could still feel her within the dark recesses of the ether, but soon that too began to fade. Eventually, Millimon was finally alone with her thoughts.

Turning once more, she walked away into the shadows, welcoming them as old friends. She indeed had much to think about.

* * *

Graeme's head was spinning as reality finally managed to grasp at his senses, allowing consciousness to return. To his thorough dismay, he found that he was still locked in the rock-enclosed cell. Strangely, though, he was no longer alone. A familiar orange and cream form sat with its back to him, talking to what looked like – at least through his blurred vision – a second Digimon and its human partner.

"Patamon?" Graeme croaked, his throat dry and a little sore. Carefully, he propped himself up so that he was sitting upright. He rubbed at his eyes with balled fists, clearing his vision.

"Graeme!" The small rookie seemed genuinely pleased to see him awake, hopping over to him, "How do you feel?"

"Like all the summers of hay-fever rolled up into one..." Graeme mumbled in groggy response.

A pair of orange and white boots appeared directly in front of Graeme, a yellow gloved hand reaching down in an offer of help. Willingly accepting it, he was soon back on his feet, greeted by a face that was startlingly familiar.

"Don't sweat it, kid." The boy smirked with confidence, offering a thumbs up, "You must be Graeme." He offered his hand again, this time in the form of a handshake, "I'm-"

"Davis Motomiya." Graeme interrupted, accepting the hand and shaking it emphatically.

The baffled look on Davis's face reflected his state of mind, "How did you...?"

"It's a long story." Graeme smiled, breaking the handshake, "If we can get out of here, I'll tell you all about it."

"Oh, that's easy!" Patamon, taking to the air and hovering to the side of the pair at head height, "That wall isn't real." He pointed to the way Davis and Veemon had entered the cell.

"Not real?" All this time and Graeme could've just walked out... Still, who every tried to walk through solid rock? A nifty little trick.

"Sure." Davis removed the backpack from his shoulder, taking it in his hand, "Watch this."

With a flick of his wrist, Davis sent the backpack flying at the wall. As expected, it passed straight through and out of sight. Turning back to Graeme, he grinned widely.

"Hmmm." Graeme took it all in for a moment, before stepping forwards and trying to touch the wall for himself. His palm came into contact with what felt more like a field of static electricity, a tingling sensation travelling up his arm. As he pressed a little more firmly, his hand actually passed into the opaque surface, apparently detached. It was disturbing to watch.

Pulling his hand back, he freed it from the faux-rock surface, lifting it up to close scrutiny. It looked in-tact.

"So, shall we escape?" Patamon grinned widely, flapping his way over to the wall.

"By all means." Graeme gestured.

Together, as a group, the four took one step, and passed through the rock face, emerging into the dark corridor beyond.

And straight into the awaiting gaze of an awaiting black vulpine.

"AneiRenamon..." Graeme whispered under his breath, aghast, not loud enough for the others to hear. A quick glance showed little reaction in the others besides shock.

_So none of them know who she is... _Graeme thought to himself, _none of them know _what _she is..._

"Looking for this?" she asked at last, her tone unexpectedly playful. Dangling from the centre digit of her raised left hand was Davis's backpack.

From the cocky manner of this new foe, Davis was certain she had no idea that she was facing off against one of the Digidestined. Maybe he could muster up enough reputation to intimidate her into leaving them alone.

"Look, Miss..."

"AneiRenamon." She offered.

"...AneiRenamon," Davis went on, "you may as well just give it back now."

"Oh really?" one of her eyebrows piqued, her arms crossing over her chest expectantly.

"Davis..." Graeme whispered, "Don't do it."

In Davis's opinion, this was no time to falter, "I'm a Digidestined. You may as well save yourself the trouble and just give us the backpack."

Graeme winced. A loud little voice in the back of his head told him that this wasn't going to end well at all.

"Oh, you're a _Digidestined!_" AneiRenamon exclaimed, "Oh, please..." she fell to her knees, paws clenched together as if in prayer, shaking with some force, "Please, don't hurt me..."

Davis blinked, a frown crossing his lips. Was she being sarcastic.

"But wait!" she placed the backpack on the floor in front of her, opening the zipped top and pulling back the lid, "If you're a Digidestined, then does that make these..." In a movement so quick it could hardly be seen, the backpack was upturned, spilling the Digivices of the entire Digidestined squad out onto the hard floor with a clatter, "Your Digivices."

A familiar blue and white D3 sat amidst the cluttered heap of electronics, causing Davis's heart to sink, "Ah..."

"Ah indeed." AneiRenamon tossed the backpack to the side, rising to her feet and stepping over the pile, "Now, you were saying, _Digidestined?_" she lowered herself to stare directly into his eyes, her vicious glare so intense that Davis thought he may burst into flame just by her will alone.

There was only silence. At least, that was until Patamon broke it. But it wasn't conversation, question or retort he offered. Oh no. Something much more vocal than that. Something which took AneiRenamon completely by surprise.

"Boom bubble!"

* * *

Chapter 15 complete at last. It's been a long while coming, but I'm back in the flow now.

Let me know how that went. Sorry if the plot's advancing a bit too slowly, but it's all relevant.

Thanks for reading!

NKC


	16. Chapter XVI

**Chapter XVI**

Jayne could see it coming. The clarity of the situation and the absolute certainty of what would happen next blossomed in her mind like a springtime flower, greeting the warmth of the early morning sun. Question was, could she really do anything about it?

"General!" she snapped, drawing the full attention of the elder gentleman, "Tell your men to holster their weapons!"

"Miss Woodward, need I remind you that-"

"Sir, please!" she pleaded, "If you don't-"

"CoroKnuckle!" the loud cry broke into their conversation, splitting the air like a razor, realising Jayne's concerns with brutal ferocity. Taken completely aback, most of the men faltered in their aim, some even dropping their rifles completely.

In the centre of the crowd, Jayne could see, the little lion-like cub had managed to set the rope ablaze, freeing both himself and the feline Mikemon from their combined captivity.

"Weapons, men!" The General reacted quickly, bellowing in a surprisingly loud voice, "Weapons!"

But no human could have reacted as quickly as the Digimon pair.

"It's on now..." Coronamon hissed, tensing every muscle in his body and summoning his Petit Prominence, covering himself from head to toe in searing flame, rendering him immune to attack.

Mikemon, not too far away, took up a fighting pose, teeth and claws brought to bear in unison. The glint in his eyes made it clear to all present that he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Gatomon..." Jayne looked down almost questioningly at the little white cat, earning a knowing smirk in response.

"I'm on it."

Flicking out her own claws to full length, she calmly stepped into the fray, passing through the mass of still fumbling soldiers.

Gatomon was by no means stupid. Alone, she knew that she couldn't beat Mikemon and Coronamon in a fair fight. Mikemon was her equal, in both type and technique. And Coronamon no doubt wanted some sort of revenge for his earlier defeat by her hands.

But Gatomon was no novice either.

An acknowledging smirk came to Mikemon's lips, a little respect for his white counterpart showing through, "Kitty come to play?"

Gatomon looked calmly from Coronamon to Mikemon, "Let's settle this like cats."

"Me-ow." Mikemon nodded.

And then, claw met claw.

* * *

The small projectile bubble of compressed air struck AneiRenamon a glancing blow to the side of her head, having caught her fully off guard. It caused little actual damage, not even powerful enough to leave a bruise, but the shock and indignation of the hit elicited a vicious scowl from the darkened vulpine.

The seething rage she felt was now directed entirely at the hovering cream and white rookie barely three metres away, and she did little to hide the fact.

"You're going to pay for that, hamster boy." Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Graeme felt a distinctive chill run down his spine, even though it wasn't a threat directed at him.

"We may not be able to Digivolve, but we're not going to let you push us around!" Patamon defied with equal determination.

Veemon indicated his agreement with Patamon by taking a step closer to the towering AneiRenamon, fists raised and ready to fight to the last

The expression on her face wavered for a moment, the edges of her mouth turning upwards into a fang-bearing grin moments before a vicious snicker erupted from her lips. It soon turned into an all-out mocking belly-laugh.

"Oh, how amusing!" she rubbed a feigned tear from her eye, "You really believe you can defeat me?"

"If we put our minds to it," Davis retorted, "we can do anything!"

"I'll be the judge of _that_." She scowled, growling in a low tone, smile and laughter fully retreating with alarming pace.

Like lightening, AneiRenamon was on the move, descending upon Veemon almost too quickly to see. The short blue rookie barely had enough time to block before the vulpine demon delivered a bone-crushing uppercut to his stomach, causing him to double over as the air was forced out of his lungs.

With a flick of the elbow, her arm caught him beneath the chin, snapping his head back painfully before her other hand descended and took hold of his cranium. AneiRenamon forced his head down with all the force she could muster, bringing her knee up in time, a sickening crack emanating from the point of impact between her kneecap and Veemon's nose.

Graeme couldn't help but wince as the nauseating sound cut through him. To any human, a move like that could have been brutal enough to kill. Lucky for Veemon, then, that his skull was thicker than most.

Though the move left him slightly disorientated, his head ringing due to the pain, Veemon had enough sense to let his fighting instincts take over. In making her move, AneiRenamon had left him with the perfect angle of attack, and left her defences wide open. She'd presented him with an open goal, and he wasn't going to hesitate in pushing home the point.

She was vulnerable.

AneiRenamon felt the deceptively short creature tense every muscle in his body. At first, she thought it was a defensive reflex, but the words which crossed his lips mere moments later made her realise her mistake.

"Vee head-butt!" Veemon dug his clawed feet into the ground to gain purchase, and released in an instant all of the attack energy he could muster. He felt AneiRenamon release him from her grasp and try to evade by turning away. But, quick as she was, she couldn't get out of the way in time, and was caught entirely off-balance as his head impacted her lower abdomen with enough force to flatten a tree.

The force of the attack sent her reeling, and it took all of her finesse to avoid falling over, catching herself with a trailing foot and a swift counter-balance of her tail. When she finally looked up to see her opponent the pair were standing at some distance, both panting for breath.

Veemon could taste the familiar acrid flavour of his blood in his mouth, no doubt the result of his bleeding nose.

Summoning up enough energy for her own attack, AneiRenamon tensed. If she did this right she could finish him in one move, and then-

"Boom bubble!"

Shielding herself quickly with one gauntlet-covered arm, she suddenly remembered the flying hamster and the unappreciated distraction that he represented. She shot him a death-glare when she finally lowered her arm to her side once more, and considered making him the sole target of her attack.

"I will make your deaths most unpleasant." She promised the two with venomous spite.

With a single bolt from her powerful legs, AneiRenamon was in the air, arms crossing her chest as a dark energy seemed to envelope her. The air felt electric for all but a moment as shards of darkest obsidian formed, her arms flung wide as she directed the dangerous hail.

Veemon and Patamon were her targets, each to bare a crippling blow.

Time itself seemed to slow to a near halt as the moment blossomed, an instant of epiphany laying out the course of events to Graeme's mind's eye before they even unfolded. Between Patamon, Veemon and their combatant, a small heap of electronic devices sat, inanimate and oblivious to the violent end with which they were about to meet.

If they were destroyed then the Digidestined would lose their connection with their partner Digimon, losing their ability to Digivolve and as a result their ability to defend the Digital World.

As a storm of obsidian rain charged down to the ground, Graeme flung himself forwards. Arm outstretched, he felt his fingers catch the faintest brush of one of the small devices – the green and white one. In an instant, there was a flash of intense white light, blinding him to the world, and the hell that seemed poised to rain down destruction. At first, he thought that perhaps it was the white light of oblivion, ready to greet him with open arms and guide him to meet his maker. As it faded, though, the shards had vanished. And, to his horror, so had all of the Digivices.

With exception to the green and white D3 that he now held clutched in his hand.

* * *

Gatomon ducked as best she could, dodging yet another fireball sent her way by the infuriating little rookie. It was all she could do to avoid getting hit. Blocking was most definitely out of the question, as her second opponent proved when he unleashed his Cat Claw. His raking claws stuck only air, however, as Gatomon forced herself sideways, turning the ducking motion into an improvised barrel roll. She uncoiled, balanced in threatening pose, one arm grounded for balance as she raised the other in case she needed to defend herself.

The move, in all, looked deceptively nimble, doing little to betray her growing fatigue. This fight was far more one-sided than she'd hoped. So far her every move had been evasive, Gatomon having found herself with little opportunity to retaliate in any meaningful way.

Mikemon, truth be told, was taken aback by the stamina and agility of his snowy-white counterpart. The endurance she was showing went way beyond anything he felt that he would be capable of mustering had he been in her paws. It all told the tale of an experienced fighter.

But even so, he knew that she would tire before either Coronamon or he would. It was inevitable.

"Give up, Gatomon. You can't beat us both!" Mikemon taunted. But all he saw was defiance in her beautiful blue eyes, fuelled on by sheer determination.

"Not a chance, Patches!" she retorted, springing forwards with her claws brought to bear.

Mikemon tensed reflexively, but he soon realised that he wasn't her target. Coronamon, currently a little way off to Mikemon's right, barely had time to wrap himself in flame once more before a rain of feline fury fell upon him. It wasn't enough to stop Gatomon, her claws catching him solidly in the shoulders, a sickening sound as claw impaled flesh, impacting directly on the bone beneath. By no means a fatal wound, but as Gatomon's momentum carried her over the rookie, jerking him violently backwards, Coronamon felt his arms dislocate. A shriek of pure agony erupted from his lips, his flame faltering entirely as Gatomon allowed her claws to withdraw.

Her green and red gloves were now coated in the blood of the incapacitated rookie, and she instinctively raised her claws and licked them clean.

Mikemon couldn't believe his eyes. For the first time he began to accept that Gatomon was willing to be as ruthless as she needed to be in order to win this fight. He knew that he was now fighting for his very life.

He couldn't help but admire this creature.

"How, by all the Digi-gods, can you have such stamina?" he marvelled

Gatomon's icy gaze met his, her face betraying no emotion, "I've been fighting since long before you were even a Digiegg."

Of course, Mikemon realised this. The tale of the Digidestined was well known in the Digital world. He couldn't remember the incident itself. Indeed, he couldn't even recall his incarnation at the time. And who knew how many times he'd been reconfigured in the years since? This was no doubt all old territory for Gatomon.

"Don't you think it's about time you thought twice about doing this?" a voice broke his train of thought. It was the human girl, Jayne. The one who'd rendered him helpless in the first place. That would be one incident he'd keep to himself for a long, long time.

As he allowed his focus to wander, he came to realise that the human army which had surrounded them before had moved off. In the distance he could hear the familiar sounds of battle, a mixture of Digimon attacks and the unleashing of deadly human gunfire. Painful cries, both human and Digimon, echoed after them. Mikemon couldn't tell who was winning. But he knew that this was just the beginning of a battle which could well decide the fate of two worlds.

"Thought twice?" he mused at last, "Human, this is exactly what my Lord wants. And believe me, his wrath scares me far more than the prospect of fighting this Gatomon, no matter how experienced she is."

"The coward's way out."

"Fools ignore their fear." He retorted, anger rising in his tone. He noticed Gatomon step a little closer to the human, as if sensing that he was going to attack her.

"Fools allow their fear to control them." Jayne retorted instantly.

Mikemon's anger finally boiled over, erupting like a coiled spring as he suddenly leapt at the girl, snarling and ready to sink his claws into her if only to render her silent.

Gatomon was horrified, to say the least. It was all happening too fast, and there was no way she could get to Jayne in time to stop the blow.

Jayne herself seemed to realise this too, her split-second reaction being to bring up her hands to protect her face - Mikemon's apparent target. Not that she thought it would really do much good. She'd just watched Gatomon sink her claws into Coronamon as if he were made of soft clay.

"Silence human!" Mikemon shrieked, raking his claws down upon Jayne with all his force. He expected to feel the warm dampness of human blood, but in the instant before impact there was a bright flash of intense white light, and he found himself blinded for a brief moment. The sound which followed was much more akin to metal striking metal.

Thrown off, Mikemon landed rather ungracefully, forced to use a hand to steady himself. When he did eventually look up the human girl was still standing, completely unscathed. But something was different.

Something was new.

Jayne looked at the pink and white electronic device currently in her hands, her attention having been drawn to it by the intense light. Somehow, she recognised it instantly. And, somehow, she also knew exactly _what _it was, and _what_ it meant.

Gatomon, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. That looked an awful lot like Kari's D3. But surely it couldn't be, could it? Her attention was quickly drawn away, however, by a familiar sensation of energy and light. In the instant that followed, she was no longer a cat, but a human-like being of far greater power. It took a moment for the change to register, the excited chirp of the nearby Jayne shaking Gatomon from her reverie as she tested the by now familiar wings which adorned her back.

"Cool!"

* * *

Lilamon was grumpy. But what else was new?

Here she was, in a castle full of prisoners ripe for the torture, and the Dark Lord forbade her from causing them any harm.

"_They are not to be processed until I say so."_ His words resonated throughout her frustrated mind.

Of course, "processing" was a euphemism she had heard Darkdramon use on numerous occasions, either for actual torture or simple deletion. It was open to interpretation, and the idea that she could maybe torture the Digidestined and get away with it, as long as she left no _visible _evidence, had crossed her mind.

"Silly little sacks of meat." She muttered to herself, striding purposefully through the dark, dank confines of the ancient structure, "They bruise so easily."

But she knew their Digimon wouldn't. They would heal much, much faster, a fact which had not escaped her devious mind. And, as rumour would have it, there was a chance that the Digidestined would feel the pain of their partners, subjected to the proper mental pressures. Say, oh, a light dose of her Un Deux Pollen. Just enough to get them in the mood, of course.

As she approached the dungeon section where the Digidestined were currently being held captive a pair of Bakemon came in to view, placed either side of the door as guards.

Lilamon couldn't quite suppress the scoff which surged forwards from within. She held no respect at all for the ghost-like Digimon. By all accounts they were unremarkable; weak for the champion level, not particularly bright. When they Digi-Gods had been handing out the brains, Bakemon had clearly gone AWOL.

But the duo were smart enough to move out of Lilamon's way as she approached. She didn't doubt for a second that it was fear she could see in their eyes. Everybody in that castle knew better than to cross the flower fairy.

Much to Lilamon's surprise the wrought-iron gateway into the cell was unlocked, and she pushed it open easily with a single white-petal hand. She was just about to turn and blast the Bakemon for their negligence in leaving it so obviously unsecured when she realised that there was somebody else in the room with the Digidestined.

"Millimon..." she hissed, recognising the pale-skinned vampiress in an instant. Her disdainful snarl hadn't gone unnoticed as Millimon turned to look in Lilamon's direction. It took the flower-fairy a few moments to realise that every eye in the cell was on her.

Not known for her shyness, her temper got the better of her instead, "What are you doing in here with the prisoners?!" she demanded.

Millimon, as always when dealing with Lilamon, kept her expression professionally blank, knowing just how frustrated and angry it would make her fellow henchman, "Questioning the prisoners." Was her eventual response, simple and to the point.

"Can we go now?" The smallest of the humans, a male with a weak-looking Armadillomon for a partner, asked with a calm unusual for one so young.

"We'll have to see what the Dark Lord says." Millimon answered honestly.

Lilamon felt her blood boil. These were prisoners, not to be reasoned with. They were to be interrogated; beaten into submission with every tool available to get the job done. Now, if it had been her doing the interrogating... Oh, if only it could've been.

"If I had my way, _human_." She sneered, "You'd all be dead by now."

"If I had my way," the child replied, unabashed, "You'd be punished for your crimes."

In a flash Lilamon had the child by the throat, pinned back against the solid rock wall. There was a slight sound of pain from the human upon impact, but not a word of objection or defiance. The expression in his eyes was pure indifference, as if he felt no fear at all. Given the current situation, Lilamon felt herself dumbfounded. This quickly gave way, however, to an impotent rage. Her sole intent had been to instil fear in the boy, and to garner submission.

"Cody!" the purple-haired human female has cried out, Lilamon realised a few moments later.

"Don't worry Yolei." He had replied, perfectly calm and placid, as if nothing at all was happening. And then his eyes locked with Lilamon's, "I'll be fine." He whispered so quietly that only she and himself could hear.

A cold, sharp object tapped her on the shoulder. The glint of light which sparked off it's surface revealed it as the blade of Millimon's scythe, a fact which was quickly confirmed when the vampire's low, cold whisper filled Lilamon's ear.

"Put the child down."

It was an order, of that Lilamon had no doubts. But who the hell was Millimon to be giving her orders?

"In your dreams." She sneered, not turning to look, but instead pressing the human harder against the wall, hoping to hear the sickening crack as his frail little human bones shattered beneath her efforts.

"So be it." Was the low, dark response which greeted Lilamon's ears.

The flower fairy turned to question Millimon's response. But before she could utter a single word a movement caught her eye. As she finished turning to look – a split second in time – she didn't have time to register what was happening. Lilamon would realise later – much to her anger and dismay – that the moving object had been the head of Millimon's staff, moving towards her with bone-shattering pace.

When consciousness would finally reclaim her, Lilamon would find the cell empty of her victims, and the full reality of the situation would dawn.

But not before the headache.

* * *

Back in the habit. Let me know what you thought. I hope the next chapter is a little bit quicker in the making.

Thanks for reading!

NKC


	17. Chapter XVII

**Chapter XVII**

Patamon watched, amazed, as AneiRenamon's vicious onslaught seemed to almost rebound off the barrier of light which had engulfed Graeme within its intensity. It took only a moment for the light to recede, but when it did Patamon noticed that the small mountain of D3s had vanished. He knew they had some almost magical powers which he didn't understand – he never wood, he admitted to himself – and it seemed almost as if they'd all sacrificed themselves to save Graeme from certain doom, surrendering their energy to form some sort of force-field.

"What is this?!" the angered voice of AneiRenamon, high pitched and filled with rage, snapped him out of his thoughts.

Graeme, certain now that he was in fact still alive and in one piece, lifted himself to his feet, taking only a moment to dust himself down. There was a short pause, overflowing with silence, until AneiRenamon opted to break it once more with her embittered rage.

"You vile human child." She sneered, evil seething in her tone, "You won't escape my next attack!"

But even as she finished her threat she realised that the human child was paying her no attention. This, of course, only served to enrage her further, steam all but erupting from her ears.

The one thing she failed to notice through her red veil of fury was the little digital device which Graeme currently held protectively in his hand.

Patamon could see exactly what was coming next. AneiRenamon would attack again, full force in the hopes of killing Graeme outright. And Graeme himself, lost in his own thoughts as he inspected the D3, would fail to notice until it was too late to do anything about it.

Mind you, he'd taken a direct hit from Lilamon's special attack. Maybe AneiRenamon, a rookie, would fare even worse?

Better not to tempt fate, Patamon knew from experience, so he acted quickly. Letting the air spill from his wings, he swooped down between Graeme and AneiRenamon, flaring and returning to a hover.

"Boom bubble!" he cried, letting fly one of his patented attacks, hoping to put enough force into it to at least make the demon fox think twice about trying to attack a human directly.

Unfortunately for Patamon – and Graeme, for that matter – AneiRenamon simply snarled, baring a single clawed hand and raking it through the air before her, ripping through the ball of compressed air as if it were mere bubblewrap. Patamon had never seen a fellow rookie claw through his attack with such ease. But the sounds of battle were more than sufficient to draw Graeme back into the present.

"Pitiful." AneiRenamon sneered through bared fangs, "Now it's my turn."

Her attack was becoming awfully familiar, Graeme noted with grim admittance, beginning to suspect that this fight _was_ actually unwinnable.

But a voice - albeit high pitched - filled in tone with strength and defiance cut through his doubts with ease.

"I _won't _permit you to harm an innocent human." It was Patamon.

_Surely he'd seen the results of his last attempt at resistance? _Graeme pondered. There wasn't any way he could have possibly failed to notice the futility of the attack, the ease with which it was dismissed. How could _anybody _retain any hope of winning when such odds were stacked against them?

_Hope..._

The word shone through in Graeme's mind, the shadows of doubt cast asunder, and a moment of clarity impressed itself upon him. This was Patamon, the Digimon partner of the Digidestined of Hope. For as long as there was even the slightest chance, Patamon wouldn't give up hope of winning this fight.

And Graeme knew, beyond all doubts and faltering, that if victory was to come to pass, he had to believe it as well.

He had to hope.

"Obsidian Hail!"

"Watch out!" Davis cried out in warning – Graeme had completely forgotten that he was there. But there was no way he could act to counter this. No move he could make, no quick defence or easy escape. In the line of fire, there was nothing he could do to protect himself and Patamon.

All he could do was hope... Like Patamon.

The small cream and orange Digimon could see things as clearly as Graeme could. And, like his new human friend, he knew he could not surrender to his fears. One way or another, he had to find a way to win this fight.

In the split second before AneiRenamon's deadly rain could impact him, the strangest yet most familiar sensation washed over Patamon, seemingly permeating his very being, filling him with a warmth and strength which he'd grown to know all too well.

And then the light overtook him. The warm wave of energy seemed to emanate from his very core, coursing through every vein, every muscle and fibre of his being, filling him completely.

He grew. His body stretched out, his spine lengthening and curving, driving him upright. He felt his arms and legs lengthen, his shoulders broaden, his ear-wings shrink as several new sets erupted from his back. Upright, he felt sturdy on a pair of much more human feet as opposed to his usual four. A helmet, part of an ensemble of human-like clothing, moved down to cover his eyes – though he remained able to see.

Finally, appearing like an old friend from the unknown ether, his staff came into being. The source of his power. The weapon which had seen off innumerable, implacable enemies.

He stood now, still between AneiRenamon and Graeme, knowing that victory was at last very much in his sights.

The two foes simple stared at one-another, a being of darkness and one of light, neither phased by the presence of the other, each certain of their own victory.

The immovable wall and the unstoppable object.

It was only then that Graeme noticed the green and white Digivice in his hands had been active, its radiant glow ebbing back to nothingness.

"Angemon..."

* * *

A deafening silence had set in. Angewomon, her new form offering her more than enough additional energy to relieve the fatigue Gatomon had worked up over the course of the battle, stood ready and willing to unleash her own personal version of hell upon both Coronamon and Mikemon in order to end this war there and then.

"How... How...?" Coronamon, awed and fearful, found himself unable to complete the thought. The throbbing pain of the deep wounds in his upper arm took a back seat to this new development, a genuine fear for his very life setting in.

"I guess some of us have all the luck." Jayne beamed, cocky and self assured. And boy, did she have reason to be.

Angemon turned to look at her. In her angel form she could see so much more of the person, as if catching a glimpse of their soul. Though it wasn't _really_ seeing, as such. It was as much smelling, feeling and tasting as anything; an intangible yet evident sense of things beyond the immediately obvious. And there, in Jayne, she could sense the same light that seemed so often to radiate off of Kari.

_Kari..._

And now this human girl held her partner's Digivice in her hand. Angemon felt no link with this being – at least, not the same deep connection she felt with Kari. And the strangest of sensations washed over her; a certainty, reassuring her that whilst this new person held the Digivice of the Digidestined of Light, it was not a permanent arrangement.

Angewomon knew, at least as well as anybody can know the future, that she would see Kari again.

It warmed her soul, and it elicited a small, earnest smile.

But before she could fully indulge such luxuries she had to end this fight.

"Mikemon..." She spoke at last, addressing the feline directly. She kept her tone deliberately soft, though commanding enough to ensure that he took her seriously, "Call this cliché, but I'm afraid I must demand your surrender."

Mikemon, though not as awestruck as his incapacitated companion, was amazed by the way in which this fight had turned. What had seemed initially as an easy two vs. one fight had become a drawn-out stalemate, and now proved quite possibly to be the road to his ultimate doom.

He found himself once more staring down the barrel of a gun, if only figuratively this time. But what surprised him most was that the person he could see with their finger on the trigger was not Angewomon. It was not his Dark Lord, Darkdramon, for fear of his own failure. It was not even the human General, his soldiers, or even the damnable human girl before him. It was, in fact, he himself.

And at that point the strangest of thoughts blossomed in his mind, giving way to revelation. He felt no regret for pursuing this battle. Hell, he was more than willing to follow things through to his seemingly certain demise, in vicious mortal combat with this ultimate level warrior before him. But the one thing that hung most prominently in his mind – indeed, upon his very heart – was an overwhelming desire to see Millimon one last time.

If only for the chance to say one final goodbye...

With a smirk already working its way across his lips, eyes blazing with defiant determination, Mikemon drew in all the energy he could muster. And, in what he knew had to be the final act of his life, he charged.

* * *

"So, why exactly are you helping us again?" Yolei queried with genuine curiosity as the small band of Digidestined and assorted Digimon worked their way through a seemingly endless expanse of caverns and passageways. Her friends were all around her, following the lead of the pale vampiress, Millimon. It just struck her as odd that nobody, as of yet, had asked the ultimate level Digimon exactly _why _she was doing this.

Yolei, not being one to miss a beat, had felt it was her right – no, her _duty_ – to ask the question.

"Yolei," Cody whispered loudly, just enough to be heard, "Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'Never look a gift horse in the mouth?'"

"Must've missed that one in school..." the purple-haired Digidestined tapped her chin thoughtfully with her index finger.

It was only a moment before she was addressing Millimon again, who had yet to actually acknowledge Yolei's presence, "Look, it's not that I don't trust you..." she resettled her glasses on the bridge of her nose, "Well, OK. It's precisely that I don't trust you. I mean, aren't you supposed to be one of the bad guys? This all just seems a little... Backwards."

Millimon stopped dead in her tracks, forcing the Digidestined and their Digimon to do the same to avoid a collision. Her face was calm and her tone even, and she spoke in a matter-of-fact kind of way.

"Do not mistake my intentions, Digidestined." She addressed Yolei directly, but it was clear she was talking to all of them as well, "I may be saving you from the savagery of Lilamon's egotistical dementia, but you are _all _still prisoners of my Lord and Master."

"Bummer." Yolei punctuated.

"But..." Kari began tentatively, trying to make sense of it all, "You knocked her out. We all saw you."

"And you enjoyed it." Ken added.

Millimon bowed her head slightly. She had to concede the child that much, at the very least. Rendering Lilamon unconscious was something she'd enjoyed doing, without a doubt. But any elation she felt was secondary to her goals.

"Lilamon's comeuppance aside, you are no more free now than you were then."

"Well," TK stepped forwards, a warm smile on his face, "Even if we're still prisoners, thanks for saving us from her. She didn't seem the most pleasant of Digimon." He rubbed the back of his head, adorning a somewhat sheepish grin.

Millimon's usual reserve was displaced for the briefest of moments by a mixture of confusion and intrigue. She looked at the human with puzzlement, trying to read the look in his eyes. He hadn't sounded sarcastic; indeed, he'd seemed quite genuine in his words. It took her a moment to figure out exactly what was going on, but it soon dawned on her, the faintest of smiles curling in the corner of her lips.

"You are most welcome, Digidestined of Hope." Millimon slowly turned her back on the group, "Now, if you will please follow me I will take you somewhere safe."

* * *

"My Lord!" Phantomon burst into the Dark Lord's chambers in a flurry of commotion, "My Lord, the prisoners have escaped!"

It took a moment for the sudden entry to fully grab Darkdramon's attention, and a few moments more before he fully registered what Phantomon was talking about, "The prisoners?" he spoke slowly, attempting to clarify, "_Which _prisoners?"

"The Digidestined, my Lord!" Phantomon waved his arms back and forth, clearly in a near-panic, if not there already. He quickly turned, tapping his chained sickle against the floor three times in rapid succession with some force. No sooner had he issued the final tap than a pair of Bakemon entered the cavernous room, a barely-conscious Lilamon hanging limply between them. Her indistinctive mumbles were broken intermittently by low-pitched groans of discomfort, "We found her like this in the cell."

"Lilamon..." Darkdramon rose to his feet, towering over his minions as he took a step closer to inspect the frail-looking flower fairy. His eyes began to burn with anger, rising up to lock on Phantomon, "Did they overpower her?"

Phantomon gulped, scared for his very existence as his Master's mood descended rapidly towards rage, "N-no Sir. I don't think so. We found her like this – semi-conscious – and rambling on about being attacked."

"Why? What was she saying?" It wasn't so much a question as a demand.

"She-"

But Phantomon was cut short by a discomforting moan from the far from lucid Lilamon. She uttered a word which sent a shiver up Phantomon's spine – or it would have, were he to have one.

"Millimon..."

Darkdramon staggered backwards as if he'd been slapped, a motion and expression so alien to his being that each of his minions lurched backwards away from him fearfully. His legs felt weak, and he found himself grasping at the arms of his throne in order to steady himself. His only option was to sit.

He drew in deep, deliberate breaths as his mind raced to try and fathom precisely what this meant. Perhaps it was a mistake... Perhaps Lilamon was mumbling innately because of her injuries. Surely this couldn't have been the work of his protégé.. Not of his Millimon...

It just couldn't be!

He looked up once more, eyes taking in the true state of the traumatised Lilamon. The only sign of physical injury was a bruise across her temple; clearly the knockout blow. The Digidestined didn't have that kind of strength, not without their Digivices.

There was only one way to find out the truth.

"You." One of his huge clawed digits aimed directly at the pair of Bakemon supporting Lilamon, "Bring her to me."

There was no hesitation; no brief moment of empty thought – the trademark of the Bakemon species. They simply acquiesced, bringing Lilamon to the foot of Darkdramon's throne.

He made sure that they laid her carefully and comfortably on what equated to little more than a cold, harsh rock surface before leaning forwards over her. Raising both of his hands above Lilamon's form, he began to concentrate. A dark energy, almost tangible but barely visible, emanated from the palms of those great claws, and even the vacuous Bakemon felt it prudent to retreat to a safe distance, taking refuge immediately behind Phantomon.

Darkdramon put the three observers out of his mind, concentrating his thoughts entirely upon Lilamon. He felt a familiar psionic singularity begin to form. And then, he punched through.

"_Put the child down."_

_It was an order, of that Lilamon had no doubts. But who the hell was Millimon to be giving her orders?_

"_In your dreams." She sneered, not turning to look, but instead pressing the human harder against the wall, hoping to hear the sickening crack as his frail little human bones shattered beneath her efforts._

"_So be it." Was the low, dark response which greeted Lilamon's ears._

_The flower fairy turned to question Millimon's response. But before she could utter a single word a movement caught her eye. As she finished turning to look – a split second in time – she didn't have time to register what was happening. Lilamon would realise later – much to her anger and dismay – that the moving object had been the head of Millimon's staff, moving towards her with bone-shattering pace._

Darkdramon's recoil was instantaneous, severe enough to break the link to Lilamon's mind entirely. For a moment – only a moment – he felt the briefest glimpse of despair. His longest-serving lieutenant had betrayed him. She had turned against him.

But despair soon gave way to rage.

"Bring her to me." He spoke in low and dangerous tones.

"Whom, my Lord?" Phantomon questioned.

There was a sudden loud roar, the entire cavern shaking around them as if an earthquake were ripping through the very air itself. A dark flash immediately followed and Phantomon ducked instinctively. He turned just in time to see a dark orb of energy rip through his companion Bakemon. It didn't hit them, it simply passed _through _them, impacting upon the far wall behind them with enough force to leave an immense crack arching from the floor to the roof.

He couldn't help but wonder how the ceiling remained above them.

"Bring the traitor to me." The Dark Lord hissed, seething, "Unless you wish to share the Bakemon's fate."

"N-no my Lord!" Phantomon turned and fled as fast as he could.

"Bring me Millimon!" Darkdramon roared, the tumultuous force of his voice alone forcing the massive iron gates to his cavernous chamber to clash shut.

He would have his revenge.

* * *

There was a lesser-known entrance into the Dark Lord's throne chamber, one which had remained – through some small miracle – a complete secret to the vast majority of the ancient fortress' inhabitants. Millimon, being one of the longest-serving of Darkdramon's underlings, was of course well aware of its existence. And it wasn't something she'd ever hesitated to use in an emergency.

And it was this concealed entrance which had afforded her audience of the entire proceedings. A cold chill traversed the full length of her spine as the true depths of her current predicament set in.

Her Master had forsaken her. Her life in the castle, after all these years of loyal service, was over. For all intents and purposes, she was doomed.

Her body felt as stone, her mind turned to mud.

"What do we do now, Millimon?" Ken asked.

Somewhere in the distant recesses of her mind she registered the question. But it was put to one side for the moment as she tried to set things out in her mind. A brief moment of clarity granted her some insight, and for an instant she could almost see events unravelling.

She had only one choice, of course. Only one way to avoid her deletion.

Millimon felt no anger at being so suddenly condemned. There was no desire for retribution against whatever bounty now rested on her head, and no fear for her being, truth be told.

Instead, an unexpected clarity of purpose emerged. A weight was lifted from her shoulders, and all of a sudden the pale-skinned vampiress realised that she was free.

And then another realisation dawned upon her, not as a flower so much as a thorn'd rose, prickling at both her conscience and her heart. When the Dark Lord's cronies failed to find her, they would look for ways to draw her out from wherever they thought she was hiding. And that, of course, led them to only one possibility.

Mikemon.

"Millimon," Ken pressed, drawing her out of her reverie, "What do we do now? We cannot stay here."

"Now..." she whispered in thought. She knew what she had to do. All other concerns became secondary in an instant, "Now, I have to go to the human world."

She was about to set off at a pace when a wholly unexpected feeling washed over her. To Millimon, it felt very much like a premonition of sorts, though it lacked any kind of content.

She was sure it was about to ebb and fade when the air around her began to tingle with faint electricity, a sudden series of three bright flashes leaving her seeing spots. When her vision cleared enough so that she could see clearly again she noticed that something had changed.

Three of the Digidestined were holding Digivices, though two remained without; the Digidestined of Hope and his nearby female companion, Kari.

She didn't take the time to absorb all the facts. She was more concerned that the flashes of light may have caught unwanted attention.

There would be time to consider it all later.

Millimon took off at a pace, the Digidestined all immediately following her. This was their way home.

Into the shadows and out of sight.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that. Took me a while to lay it out straight in my mind, and certain time constraints have proven a hindrance to this story's progress. But I know I have to get it finished.

Anyway, leave a review. Comments, critiques and curiosities all welcomed.

Thanks for reading,

NKC.


	18. Chapter XVIII

**Chapter XVIII**

At first, the portal between the realms had opened and closed in waves, each opening greeting a throng of new monsters into the human world. It had been quite the sight, certainly not one to be seen every day. Creatures great and small, ranging in size from the equivalent of a small dog, all the way up to the size of a house!

It was a most unsettling sight, to say the very least.

"Team Alpha-one to command, priority one message to relay, over." A soldier whispered into his radio in hushed tones, currently hiding in the undergrowth.

There was a brief static pause before the machine crackled into life with the response.

"_This is Command. Relay your message, over."_

The young soldier swallowed hard, collecting himself, "Primary assault wave proved ineffective against enemy. Full withdrawal of all personnel to checkpoint fiver-niner-zero complete. Enemy casualty report negligible. Over."

Those last few words held far more truth than anyone had anticipated. The initial human response to the digital invaders had been a two-wave assault, flanking the enemy and attacking from both sides in an attempt to overwhelm them.

It had been a complete disaster!

Their weapons, a whole array of military hardware ranging from pistols to machine guns, had proven almost entirely useless against their unfamiliar foes, who seemed to simply regenerate unless outright swamped with gunfire. The enemy forces, now surely numbering close to a thousand, had taken less than two-dozen casualties on the initial volley. As soon as they'd realised what was going on, they'd raised some kind of force field which the military's weapons were unable to penetrate.

"_Withdrawal confirmed, Alpha-one. Report immediately to Command for full debriefing and mission update. Over and out."_

Silently, keeping a close eye on the enemy, the small squadron of soldiers began to move away.

* * *

Angemon felt a cold shiver run the full length of his spine, and it took all of his strength of will to prevent it manifesting itself as a visible shudder. The glare AneiRenamon was shooting him contained more malice and hatred than even his memories of Devimon or Myotismon could offer.

But so much more than that, there was AneiRenamon herself.

"By the Digigods..." Angemon gasped, barely believing what he was seeing.

In his angel form, much as Angewomon, he held the ability to see living beings beyond their mere outer appearance. A single glance could reveal the true depths of their emotion. It was an aura which surrounded all living beings, one which passed through all life and united it all through the ether. A Digimon would call it mere data.

A human would call it the soul.

And looking down upon AneiRenamon, Angemon felt an almost overwhelming mixture of distress and pity. Where the vibrant, dancing colours of the soul would usually mingle – an expression of hope, light, love – he could make out only the cold, twisting undulations of seething rage and hatred. He'd never seen anything like it, and he felt himself forced to avert his gaze for fear of being overwhelmed.

It was like a soul with all positive character traits removed. She was a void; an empty expanse of nothing but pure evil. She felt... dead.

And yet, at the same time, a feeling gnawed at the back of Angemon's mind. The disposition of this creature – its murderous intent, its violent hatred – seemed almost artificial. So devoid was this being of all hope and light, it could not be natural.

Somebody had done this to her. She hadn't always been like this, and they'd _forced _it upon her!

The monsters...

"Don't judge me too harshly." AneiRenamon's menacing voice cut into his train of thought, jarring him back to the present. Looking up, there was a distinct mischief in her eye, though it seemed far more malicious than fun.

"What... What happened to you?" Angemon found himself unable to resist the question.

"Not that it's any of your business." she snarled in reply, "It's a gift and a curse. That's all _you _need to know."

_A curse... _Angemon pondered for a moment. Several pieces of the puzzle were slotting into place in regards to this dark fox-demon. At first, he'd thought her just another evil virus Digimon, out to cause havoc and mayhem. But now, able to see things from such a revealing angle, the only conclusion he could draw was that she was a prisoner.

_Time to set her free..._

With intent, he looked up, "AneiRenamon, I know that there's more to you than meets the eye."

The dark vixen's stance changed from one of aggression to one of mild bemusement, as she stood and folded her arm over her chest, "Let's not start on the riddles, Angemon. I lack the patience and the inclination."

"AneiRenamon... I release you from your curse."

With all the power he could muster, he unleashed his Angel's Requiem attack upon her.

AneiRenamon never even saw it coming.

* * *

To say that Lilamon's head ached would have been a gross understatement. Her head felt as if she'd gone one on one with a stampeding herd of Monochromon, and Triceramon, then topped it all off with a few rounds against DarkTyrannomon himself.

"Urgh, my poor petals..." she whimpered, taking note of the cold stone floor beneath her as she lifted herself into a sitting position. It took her a few moments, looking around, to figure out exactly where she was.

"The Lord's chamber..." she whispered, even that delicate sound causing her head to throb, "Urgh. How did I get here?"

Lilamon tried to remember, forcing her pained mind to scour through the most recent of events. She remembered the Digidestined quite vividly. Maybe they'd done something to her?

No. No, that wasn't right. They'd been completely disarmed. They were nothing more than helpless prisoners, certainly not capable of inflicting major pain upon her.

Millimon had been guarding them, she remembered. So they wouldn't have been able to attack her anyway. Two ultimates versus three rookies was a no-brainer. Any dimwit Gotsumon would've been able to figure that out.

An electric tingle traversed her spine, jarring her memory in a moment of stark recollection. "Millimon!" she hissed, remembering the vampiress' scythe crashing down upon her head, "That no good who-"

"Ah, Lilamon." A deep, booming voice startled her. The shock was followed by a moment of agony unlike anything she'd ever felt before as the voice passed right through her, echoing off of the solid rock walls..

"For the love of _Gaia_, don't shout at me..." she held her head in her hands, eyes screwed tight shut, trying to block out the pain it caused her. But no sooner had the words escaped her lips than she realised just whom the voice belonged to, "Oh!" her eyes shot open, "My Lord! Please, forgive me!" she begged.

"Do not worry, Lilamon." He replied calmly as the flower fairy turned to face him, "It is... Understandable."

It was an unusual moment of compassion from her lord and master, she realised. But she didn't feel like pushing her luck any further. Shakily, she tried to get to her feet, to show at least a little respect.

"Remain seated." He ordered, his voice a little bit more restrained. She certainly didn't seem to be in any fit state to stand before him.

She opted not to argue, letting herself fall back to the floor. It was a lot easier this way, "Yes, my Lord."

There was a tangible silence between the two, Darkdramon's mind churning over the possibilities. His plans were in the process of being adjusted. Several new _situations _were forcing his hand, and he had little choice but to step up preparations.

"Lilamon," he spoke at last, the flower fairy listening attentively – despite her clear pain, "Current events are not as they should be. Several things have changed, and we need to adjust out plans accordingly."

"Yes, Lord." She agreed, though not knowing where he was leading.

"Millimon has defected, as I'm sure you're very much aware." His steely glaze revealed – for the briefest of moments – a little of his emotions; a mixture of the rage and distress of betrayal greeting Lilamon's eyes, "I have a special mission for you."

"I am at your service, Lord Darkdramon."

* * *

There it was, in the centre of one of the innumerable caverns strewn throughout the castle; the portal to the other world. It simply hung there in the air, a translucent wall of undulating energy which linked two worlds – the means by which Darkdramon had sent his armies to the human world – the source of his trans-dimensional energies.

The eerie darkness which enveloped the outer recesses of the room hid an ultimate level vampiress and her companions from sight. Millimon knew that she had to get through the portal and to Mikemon before her former master could find her or get word through to the human world and have his minions turn against Mikemon.

He was her priority now.

Between the small group and the portal stood two guards. A simple pair of Gizamon now stood between Millimon and her goal, and she had to dispatch them quickly and without any fuss.

"So what's the plan?" Ken sidled up to Millimon, both of them peering over the rock which shaded them.

"We need to remove them from the picture, without giving them the opportunity to alert anybody else of the situation." Millimon explained simply, watching their soon-to-be victims chatter, oblivious.

"Can't you just use that attack of yours? You know, the one that sends them to sleep?" He half questioned, half suggested. It seemed the obvious choice, and he wondered why she hadn't used it already.

"I'm afraid not." Millimon shook her head, sounding only slightly disappointed, "Twice the targets, half the effectiveness."

"Well that's a royal pain in the arse." Yolei piped up from a little way away.

"Hmmm..." Armadillomon hummed thoughtfully, gaining the attention of everybody there, "Ah think ah may 'ave an idea."

"That would be a pleasant first." Hawkmon interjected drily.

Armadillomon ignored the jibe, turning instead to his Digidestined partner, "Cody, can ah 'ave your backpack?"

Cody's face was full of intrigue, wondering exactly what it was that his friend was planning to do. He knew exactly what he'd packed in there before they'd left their own world, and he really couldn't think of anything that would be of use, "Sure, Armadillomon." The youth slipped the straps off his shoulder, placing the bag down in front of himself and unzipping it, "What are you planning?"

"Boot polish." Was the response as the yellow armadillo nosedived straight into the pack, "I need boot polish."

Yolei frowned, pushing her glasses back up her nose, "Now why would Cody have-"

"Found it!" Armadillomon cheered after a moment of rummaging, pulling back with a little tube of liquid polish in his mouth. It was about the size of a large toothpaste tube, capped on one end and a brush on the other for buffing.

"I guess Cody likes clean shoes." TK offered with a shrug. Kari stifled a chuckle.

Armadillomon managed to remove the cap – a remarkable feat for somebody without hands – and approached Wormmon with a wide grin on his face.

"Wormmon, ol' buddy, ol' pal..." the yellow armadillo advanced, grinning like a fool. Wormmon began to get that uncomfortable niggling sensation in the back of his mind – the one that always warned him of impending doom – which he so lamented, and he backed away slowly.

"What is he up to?" Millimon asked Ken, who simply shrugged in silence.

"Trust me." Armadillomon closed the space between himself and Wormmon, "I'm an armadillo."

Wormmon had never been so frightened in his life.

* * *

"So I said to her, I said." Gizamon spoke to his compatriot, "'Babe, I don't gotta put up with this sort of crap.'"

"No way..." His friend gawked in amazement, "What did she say?"

"'Diamond Storm.'" The first Gizamon sighed, "I'll never walk in a straight line agai-"

"Ahem." The pair's conversation was cut short by a somewhat feeble cough. As they looked up, a highly unusual pair stepped out from the shadows. One looked remarkably like a Wormmon – small, green, shaped like a caterpillar – only with a series of unusual black markings crisscrossing its chest and face.

The being next to it, however, was stranger than anything they'd ever seen before. It stood tall, on two legs. It looked strangely like a human, dressed in a most peculiar fashion. Only on its cheeks it had two sets of parallel black lines, and a helmet atop its head of long, purple hair which was made out to look like a pumpkin wearing a grin.

"Hello, comrades!" the tall one declared, revealing itself to be female, "We're here to travel to the human world and help in the war effort!"

The two Gizamon exchanged uncertain glances. After a moment or two one of them stepped forwards slightly, "I wasn't aware of any additional transfers to the human world. The last wave went through over an hour ago..."

The short worm-like one seemed dumbfounded. But the taller one leaned down, looking angered and prodding him aggressively, "Are you questioning my orders, buddy?"

"Erm, no... no..." he stuttered, confused, "It's just..."

"I am the great DarkYoleimon!" she cried in outrage, arms flailing, "Who are you to question me?!"

"Hold on a minute..." The second Gizamon raised his hands in protest, "He wasn't-"

"I come all this way," she carried on regardless, now beginning to pace backwards and forwards in front of the Gizamon pair, "summoned forth from the deepest, darkest region of the Digiworld by the Dark Lord himself, only to be _insulted _by a pair of lowly Gizamon! The outrage! THE OUTRAGE!"

"I think you guys had better let us through." The Wormmon suggested, much more calm and collected, "Before she does something... stupid."

"Yes. Erm..." the first Gizamon nodded profusely, turning to his friend, not daring to ask exactly what _stupid _entailed, "We'd better let them through."

The second couldn't agree more, "Sorry if we upset you, DarkYoleimon..." he became quite apologetic, "We didn't know who you were. We'll let you through."

Her hands crossed her chest, her nose turning up, "About time." She grumbled indignantly.

The pair of Gizamon sighed in relief. The last thing they needed was some bigger, more powerful Digimon going postal on them. They turned to tend to the gate.

"Oh, one more thing you guys." Her voice interrupted them, both of the Gizamon turning back towards DarkYoleimon.

As the first one turned around a small rock collided quite unexpectedly with the bridge of his nose, knocking him out cold in an instant.

"Hey, what the-!" the second Gizamon began to protest just as DarkYoleimon launched a second rock straight at him. The effect was much the same as the first, leaving him unconscious and prone beside his friend.

"Hurr!" Yolei flexed her muscles, "Now that's what I call pebble-dashed!"

Stepping out of the shadows, the rest of the group moved into view. Kari took Yolei by the arm with a wide smile, "Come on, DarkYoleimon. Time to go." And she ushered her friend forwards.

"I'm impressed." Ken chuckled, bringing up the rear and shaking his head slightly in amusement.

"I know..." Cody agreed, "One of Amradillomon's plans actually worked."

"I'm amazed that Yolei managed to knock them clean out in one shot each." TK marvelled, "Not too bad."

"For a human." Millimon added, thoroughly impressed though unwilling to show it, "Come on, let's go."

And she stepped through the portal.

* * *

Lilamon stalked through the halls of the ancient castle, a demonic grin plastered upon her features, twisting the fairy's deceptively pleasant outward appearance into something highly unsettling.

Lifting up one of her flower-like hands, she conjured up a small ball of energy – the same intense energetic gold colour as her marvel shot – running it through her fingers like a stress ball.

"_When you leave this room you will hold all the power of a Mega." _Her Lord had told her prior to her departure, _"Bring me Millimon. Or destroy her trying."_

Her grin broadened. She knew precisely what the vampiress would do. She'd head straight for the human world; straight to the defence of that flea-ridden cat friend of hers. She was as predictable as a pendulum.

Lilamon clutched a ball of energy in her fist, snuffing it away into nothingness.

The portal awaited.

* * *

Mikemon lunged, claws outstretched, straight at the ultimate-level angel before him. But, like his previous efforts, she thwarted him by simply sidestepping his attack. She may have looked angelic, but she sure wasn't fighting fair.

He landed between Angewomon and the human girl, Jayne, panting for breath. It still didn't look like she was going to attack him.

"Didn't your mother tell you that you shouldn't play with your prey?" Jayne piped up, enjoying the show.

"I'm still a cat at heart." Angewomon replied, smiling slightly, though trying to appear nonchalant. Truth be told, she was getting revenge on the little cat. Of a sorts, anyway. When the odds had been stacked against her she had been made to work hard for her own survival. She was simply returning the favour.

"More like catty." Mikemon chirped, looking up at Angewomon with mischief in his eyes. He had to force himself to not stick out his tongue.

Angewomon chuckled, despite the fact she was supposed to be fighting him, "What would Davis say? 'Takes one to know one.'" And she _did _stick out her tongue.

"You should be careful," he teased, coiling his muscles, "A cat could bite it off."

Again, he leapt at her, claws bared in an instant. He half expected her to try and dodge again. But he wasn't so lucky. This time, reaching out with her gloved hand, Angewomon simply plucked him out of the air by the scruff of his neck, holding him at arm's length.

"Well, this seems awfully familiar." Jayne whistled innocently.

All Mikemon could do was hang suspended in the air, "I _was _trying not to make a habit of it."

"Be that as it may," Angewomon lifted him up to eye-level, turning him to face her but keeping the calico cat far enough away so that he couldn't scratch her, "I think it's time we ended this fight, don't you?"

"Must we? I was having so much fun." Mikemon commented drily.

"He's been trying to end this fight for the past half-hour." Jayne came in closer, moving in behind the angel Digimon.

"Look," Mikemon started, all serious now, "What is it that you want from me? I've told you I can't go back having surrendered. The Dark Lord would kill me."

"That is a conundrum." Jayne tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Angewomon rolled her eyes – not that anybody could see this. She ignored Jayne's comments, "So you'd rather die here, by my hand?"

"I'd rather not die at all. But what choice do I have?" his tone wasn't sad or angered. It was simply accepting, perhaps even resolved, "At least this will be far less painful."

"You know," Jayne rested her elbow on Angewomon's shoulder, leaning into the conversation, "There is a third option."

"There is?" Both Angewomon and Mikemon asked, looking first at each other, then towards Jayne.

"Yes, you could-" she began.

"You could put him down, for a start."

The trio turned to look. Standing there, scythe planted firmly into the ground, a cold look in her eyes, stood none other than Millimon.

* * *

That one sure was a while in the making. Hope I got it right. Just to let you know that I haven't forgotten about this story. I just want to take the time to get it right. As you can no doubt tell, we're drawing inexorably closer to the finale. So watch this space.

Let me know how you think this chapter went. And thanks for reading.

NKC


	19. Chapter XIX

**Chapter XIX**

The attack hit AneiRenamon square in the chest, knocking the wind out of her and sending the demonic fox sprawling. She collided hard with the solid rock-face behind her, a sickening thud the telltale sign of her skull meeting the rock with unforgiving force. Had she been human it was certain it would've been lethal.

She fell to the floor, unconscious.

Graeme was just about to ask what Angemon had done to here when an eerie dark glow seemed to emanate from AneiRenamon's limp body. It swirled around her, growing in intensity until it seemed almost like a black flame trying desperately to consume her.

It undulated and it churned. But the most disturbing thing about it was that it seemed to moan, as if it were alive.

"I cast thee out!" Angemon cried, lifting his rod high into the air. A pure white light flashed from both the tip and the base. Like electricity, the two points pulsed, running down and uniting in the middle. Less than a fraction of a second later a ball of intense energy flew from Angemon's fist – where he held the rod – striking the dark flame like a hammer against hot steel.

Sparks flew.

And then, with a terrifying screech, the darkness faded away into nothingness.

"Erm..." Davis spoke up, stepping in next to Graeme, "What just happened?"

Graeme ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply, "I think that was an exorcism."

They watched as Angemon – his back to them – stepped forwards, kneeling down beside the fallen fox. She was breathing deeply; an occasional moan and groan letting them all know that she was still alive.

Ever so gently, Angemon placed his free hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright?" he asked in a near whisper.

Her ears twitched, her eyes opening slowly. She blinked a few times and she began scanning her surroundings in an attempt to get her bearings. They eventually came to rest on Angemon's helmeted face. She remained silent, but moved back a little and lifted herself into a more comfortable position, one arm propping herself up as she reclined on one side.

Angemon let his arm slide off her shoulder, though still crouched before her, taking a few small bounds backwards in order to give her room to breathe and get to grips with everything.

AneiRenamon looked around herself once more, taking in a deep breath, "Where... Where am I?" she asked at last, sounding very lost.

"You're in Darkdramon's castle." The angel explained gently, "Its ok. You're whole again. The curse is lifted."

"The curse?" her green eyes held questions – he noted how much softer they appeared, not nearly as cold as before – and he knew he couldn't possibly answer them all.

Her eyes widened all of a sudden, holding so much shock and fear, "The curse!" one of her three-digit paws flew up and covered her lips, "Oh my god..."

The look of pure horror on her face spoke volumes, and Graeme – watching from just a little way away – felt intense sorrow for her. She looked so lost. So very, very confused.

"You don't remember anything, do you?" he asked, as much a statement as a question, stepping up closer and kneeling beside her.

She looked to him, blinking in surprise, "A human." Her lips mouthed.

Graeme swore he could see a tear form, but her eyes closed tight at that point, her body starting to shake. He was certain she was about to break down.

"Hey..." he smiled warmly, though she didn't see it, "It's OK."

"No..." she didn't open her eyes, "It's not."

Graeme couldn't resist; he felt so sorry for her. He reached forwards, stroking AneiRenamon's arm in an effort to reassure her.

When she opened her eyes again there was pain unlike anything he'd ever seen in a creature before. An anguish so complete – so totally soul-consuming – that he had to look away.

"I remember _everything._" She whispered. There was a certain amount of remorse and hatred there, though it seemed directed inwards more than at him.

And then, she did break down.

Graeme didn't break contact with her. But he did turn his gaze to Angemon in question. The angel simply shook his head in sorrowful understanding.

"Sometimes," he whispered, "the truth is harder than the pain inside."

* * *

Angewomon simply stood there, Mikemon held suspended at arm's length, surprised to see the ultimate level vampiress again. Last time they'd seen one another both had been relatively laid back, barring the eventual fight of course.

"I will _not _be asking you again." Millimon warned the angel dangerously, "Put him down."

But Angewomon was far from intimidated, "You do realise that as a Nightmare Soldier, my strengths play off against your weaknesses, right?"

Millimon knew that was intended as a threat as well. But she opted not to take it as such, "I know my own strengths and weaknesses, Angewomon. And I'm sure I have a few tricks up my sleeve that even _you _don't know about."

Mikemon, completely helpless in his current elevated state, whispered quietly to Angewomon, "I'd do as she says. Back her into a corner and she's like a wild cat." He smirked, appreciating the irony in his words.

"Now is not the time to be joking." Angewomon pointed out drily.

"Two ultimate level ladies are about to engage in mortal combat over me." The calico cat pointed out with a smug look on his face, "Now is the _perfect _time to be joking."

Angewomon rolled her eyes.

"Well?" Millimon rapped her fingers impatiently against the staff of her scythe, her patience wearing thin.

"Look, Millimon," Angewomon began firmly, "I know he's your friend and all, but I can't just-"

"Hold your horses, you two!" a familiar female voice called from somewhere behind Millimon. The entire group turned to look, Angewomon recognising them all instantly. The owner of the voice turned out to be none other than TK!

And where TK was...

"Kari!" The female angel cried, dropping the cat in an instant and running straight at the Digidestined of light.

"Angewomon!"

The pair met in an embrace, like friends who hadn't seen each other in a very, very long time.

"I thought I'd never see you again..." Kari whimpered softly, wrapping her arms tight around the angel, happy tears rolling freely down her cheeks.

"Hey, you know me. Takes more than an alternate dimension to keep me down." The angel joked lightly. She didn't shed any tears – she wasn't Kari – but her happiness was very clear in her embrace.

Kari allowed herself a light giggle, releasing her friend and stepping back a little, "And look at you. Digivolving on your own now, are we?"

"Erm, actually..." Angewomon smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck with her un-gloved hand, "I had a little help with that one."

"You had help?" TK stepped up, slipping an arm around Kari as the pair looked on questioningly. As far as they knew, only the Digidestined could help their Digimon to evolve into their higher forms.

Angewomon nodded. It sure wouldn't be easy to explain, that was for sure. But it was actually Jayne who stepped forwards to offer a solution, taking the pink and white D3 out of her pocket and presenting it to the extended group.

"I think it may have been me." She looked down at the device in her hand.

"But..." Kari began, dumbfounded at seeing what appeared to be her own Digivice in the hands of somebody else, "That looks like my... How... Why...?"

There was a moment of silence, TK, Kari and Angewomon unable to draw any conclusions. Surely there wasn't any reason for Kari to lose her D3? After all, she hadn't done anything wrong to warrant it being transferred to another... Had she? Was that even possible?

Then something almost unthinkable occurred to her; what if she and Gatomon were no longer partners? It would be more than she could bear!

The thought alone brought her to tears, TK pulling her into a hug to try and offer comfort. The same possibility had reached his mind too. As Kari's muffled sobs into his shoulder intensified she seemed to shake visibly.

After all they'd been through...

Jayne felt mote than a little awkward and out of place with the current situation, uncertain as to what exactly was going on. But the little device held in her hand had little meaning to her, so she pursued the obvious course of action.

"This thing just sort of appeared in my hand." She looked up at the tall-ish blonde boy comforting the crying brunette, "If it's hers, she's more than welcome to have it back."

It was Angewomon who took the device off Jayne, holding it as if it were the most delicate, precious object in the world. Even if Jayne had somehow managed to wield it in order to help her Digivolve, she still felt a strong bond to Kari – more so than with Jayne, at any rate – so she knew, on an instinctual level almost, that her time with Kari wasn't through. And as the Digivice was the physical incarnation of their link, it seemed only fitting that she should offer it to her long-time friend.

"Cheer up, Kari." Angewomon spoke softly, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, "It doesn't mean anything."

Kari, with tears tracing little streaks down her cheek, turned to look at her friend and companion. Maybe she was right; maybe it didn't mean anything at all. Maybe it was just one of those things? But still, the thought of ever losing her best friend in such a way was more than she could bear to think about.

She reached out slowly, eager to take the device. She looked at Jayne for a moment, "Thank you..." she whispered.

"Hey, no problem." Jayne grinned in response, happy to be of help.

Angewomon's smile returned, and she placed the D3 lightly in Kari's hand. But no sooner had she let go of it than there was an intensely bright flash of pink light, the Digivice exploding upwards suddenly, arcing through the air. It left Kari startled, a small yelp of surprise escaping her.

As if in slow motion, the D3 reached the peak of its arc, returning to earth with ever increasing velocity. Angewomon moved like lightening, throwing herself forwards to try and catch it before it could impact and most likely break.

But it was no use. She didn't quite have the reach for it.

Kari closed her eyes, awaiting the inevitable. But the expected crunch of the little machine impacting on the ground never came.

Slowly, barely daring to look, she opened her eyes.

There, holding the device safely in his paws, was Mikemon. He was panting, laid at full stretch, D3 suspended safely mere inches above the ground.

"I got it..." he sighed, holding it up, a little dumbfounded having acted entirely reflexively.

Millimon took the opportunity to step forwards, reaching down and helping Mikemon back to his feet. For some reason he handed the D3 to her, taking the time to dust himself down. How he hated dirt in his coat.

Millimon ruffled the fur between his ears with her free hand, earning an indignant look form the cat, before moving over to join the four person circle.

"Here," she held her hand out to Kari, "Let's try this again."

Kari's expression contained a little doubt, but TK gave her a soft squeeze of reassurance, "Thanks..."

Once again there was a bright pink flash. Kari's eyes went wide, her grip instinctively tightening around the pink and white Digivice in the hopes of keeping hold of it this time. She quickly realised that Millimon hadn't let go either, her fingers tightening against the girl's own.

But there was no explosive force this time. Instead the glow intensified between their palms, issuing a tingly warmth as it formed into a ball. The device gave off a high-pitched whine, though it didn't sound like one of distress.

The pitch grew ever higher until, at last, it seemed to reach a crescendo. Just like a laser show, a beam seemed to erupt from the D3, it's chosen target apparently Jayne.

"Woah, no!" the blonde girl cried, holding her hands up in protest. The beam of pink hit her left hand square in the palm, and seemed to coalesce into a second sphere of light.

Then, just as quickly as it had all started, the light beam vanished, leaving a glowing orb of pink and white in Jayne's right hand. She turned her hand around slowly to take a look at the damage as the orb began to fade away.

To her amazement, there was a small device in her hand. It didn't look much like the one Kari had. It was much bigger, and far more symmetrical. The screen was a pink surround set back into grey metal. The buttons on it matched the surround perfectly for tone.

"What the heck is this?" Jayne puzzled, turning it around and holding it so the others could see.

"That would be a D-Power." A mocking voice, full of amusement, interrupted.

They each turned to look. There, hovering several metres above the ground, was Lilamon.

* * *

Darkdramon rapped at the armrest of his grand throne impatiently with his fingers. He did it with such force that his claws were actually carving into it, scraping out deep gouges in it's surface.

He was growing irritable.

Not long ago he'd sent Lilamon on her way, endowed with a new strength. Bestowing such powers upon an ultimate left him feeling mentally and physically drained, and a little time to recuperate was a necessity. But that didn't mean he had to enjoy it.

He knew that both Lilamon and Millimon were no longer in the castle – he could feel the presence of neither of them. So they must have both crossed over to the human world.

All of his forces were in that alternate dimension now, and it irked him no end that he had to waste time in the digital world to simply recover.

He was no armchair general.

The massive iron doors which marked the entrance to his chamber were flung open ferociously, the ancient rusted hinges screeching in protest. It was that infernal Phantomon. Didn't he know how to knock?

"What is it?" the dark Lord demanded angrily, rubbing his temple.

"My Lord," the smaller being bowed respectfully, "The preparations for your travel to the human dimension are complete. If you would but follow me, we can go there now."

Darkdramon sat in silence, regarding the spook with an intense glare. He still required time to recover his energies and get back to full strength. Unless...

"Phantomon..." he began slowly, "How long have you been in my service?"

"More years than I dare to count, my Lord!" the Digimon spoke with such reverence and loyalty.

"Indeed. Then you shall perform the most dedicated of duties." His voice was deep and booming, instilling both fear and pride into Phantomon.

"Yes, Lord Darkdramon!" he replied with immense enthusiasm, rising to his feet, "Just name it!"

With naught more than a smirk, Darkdramon ran his sabre forwards, impaling Phantomon through the torso with such ferocity that the poor, helpless ultimate didn't even have the time to cry out before he erupted into data.

Darkdramon absorbed it without remorse.

"Now," he rose to his feet, revitalised, "I am ready to go."

As he left the room the darkness seemed to follow him, as if the very light were afraid.

* * *

"Lilamon..." Jayne hissed with hatred, displeased to see the flowery fairy again.

"My my," she descended to just a few feet above the ground, hovering just in front of Jayne, "If it isn't the human girl. I tell you, Millimon, the company you're keeping these days is most unsettling."

"I've kept worse." The vampiress retorted, stoic and unemotional.

Lilamon feigned pain, clutching at her heart and pretending to crash to the ground, "Oh, the pain! You've really hurt me."

"She has the bump to prove it." Yolei piped up from one side.

The fairy rubbed her head and frowned, "Yes. I owe you one for that, Millimon."

Mikemon looked back and forth between his friend and Lilamon, puzzled and trying to figure out what was going on, "Sorry, but did I miss something here?"

Lilamon darted over to him, leaning down and rapping her knuckles against his head mockingly, "Hello? Real world to Mikemon, anybody home? Haven't you been paying attention?"

The little calico cat snarled at her, recoiling slightly and stepping back away from Lilamon. He scratched his forehead where she'd tapped him.

"Your little vampire girlfriend here switched sides." She carried on, rising upwards again to hover prominently in the centre of the group, "She's with these Digidestined now. She's a traitor."

Mikemon looked up at Millimon, trying to figure out if what Lilamon had said was the truth or just another one of her lies. Millimon met his gaze and gave an unapologetic nod of confirmation.

Mikemon returned the nod, understanding.

"Where do you stand, putty-tat?" Lilamon's glare looked like it could have melted steel.

"I stand with Millimon." He spoke plainly, as if there was ever any doubt.

Lilamon gave a disapproving tut, "How thoroughly predictable. And what about our little fire-lion?"

The eyes of everyone there turned to Coronamon, still thoroughly immobilised by Gatomon's earlier onslaught. He'd managed to find a comfortable spot to prop himself up, but he was still unable to move his arms.

Truth be told, he didn't really like any of his former comrades. They'd all looked down on him, patronising him where possible, or even outright bullying him in the case of Lilamon.

"I'm loyal to myself." The anger and hatred in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Really? Too bad."

Before Coronamon could so much as blink, Lilamon had her hands together, taking on the form of her Marvel Shot attack. Nobody had the time to even cry out a protest before she fired, let alone try to stop her. The immense energies she released hit Coronamon square on, at what was effectively point blank range. The explosion was massive, throwing up dirt and rocks into the air, forcing everybody to look away – except Lilamon, of course.

When the dust did finally clear after a moment or two, not even Data remained.

"You..." TK gasped.

"You killed him!" Mikemon cried in outrage.

"Boo hoo." The flower fairy wiped away a fake tear.

A shocked silence overtook the group.

Lilamon had turned into a monster.

* * *

AneiRenamon's sobs had faded somewhat, though she still seemed grief-stricken if Graeme were honest. Angemon had brought him up to date on what he'd seen and what had happened.

"It's not your fault, AneiRenamon." He tried to reassure her, "You were cursed... You couldn't help it."

"The things I've done..." she seemed inconsolable, "I... I was a monster."

Graeme couldn't think of anything to say. He'd seen what she was capable of, and there was no question that she'd been turned into something far beyond evil. But at the same time it didn't seem to be her fault. But how could he make her see it?

Much to Graeme's surprise, it was Davis who spoke up, "Come on, Anei." He began with a smile, kneeling down in front of her, "Now's your chance."

"My..." she looked up at him, sorrowful, "My chance?"

"Sure." Davis beamed from one side of his face to the other, "Now you get the chance to set things straight. Come help us."

Her eyes tried to sum him up, wondering how anybody could be so forgiving. Her every act – every murder, torture and massacre – would burn through her memories forever, "I don't deserve a second chance..." her eyes cast downwards once more.

"Hey." Graeme started up again, placing both of his hands on her shoulders. She seemed to flinch slightly, but made no move to remove his hands. She wouldn't meet his gaze, so he took one hand and lifted her chin so that he could look her in the eye.

"Everybody deserves a second chance."

She could find no question that he believed what he said.

"Come on," Davis held out his hand, offering her a way to her feet, "You can help us get out of this place."

AneiRenamon seemed reluctant at first. But after a moment of hesitation, she accepted.

"Come on," Angemon urged, "It's time for us to get out of here."

* * *

I hope that didn't seem rushed. But I wanted to fit so much in. Things really are heating up now.

Let me know how you think it went. Every comment helps.

Thanks for reading!

NKC


	20. Chapter XX

**Chapter XX**

"Is this it?" Veemon asked quietly as the quintet reached the dark entrance to yet another cavernous room.

AneiRenamon, currently standing at the head of the group, had led them there as a means of escape. It was the easiest way to get out of the castle, and she knew for a fact that it led to at least one of the innumerable dimensions out there. A human one, for that matter, which was no doubt where the others wanted to go.

"Yes." She nodded, leading the way once more by entering first. She immediately stumbled upon the pair of unconscious Gizamon, pausing a brief moment to check them over, "Your friends have been here." She spoke to Davis without actually turning to look at him.

"How can you tell?"

"Well I doubt Darkdramon's minions would need to beat up their own guards." Graeme pointed out with light sarcasm.

"Much less with a pair of rocks." AneiRenamon pointed at the pebbles on the floor nearby, a clear match with the bruises on the Gizamon.

Davis nodded, realising the absurdity of his question in a moment of rare revelation. The prone digital pair _did_ each sport a rather obvious red mark in their forehead.

"Come on," Angemon stepped past the group towards the gate, its undulating energy casting dancing shadows in the direction of the entrance, "We need to get moving. We don't want to get caught."

"He's right." Graeme nodded. He was eager to get back home, if only to see how the place was doing. He prayed that nobody had been hurt by the invading army, but he really wouldn't know until they got there.

Davis and Veemon exchanged looks, then nodded in agreement in Graeme's direction. They were the first to pass though, boldly striding into the fray together. Angemon went next, disappearing from view in an instant as the portal seemed to consume him.

Graeme was about to step through after them, but something made him turn back. He felt eyes watching him intently from behind.

It was AneiRenamon, standing stock still and simply observing him closely. Her expression was blank, but there was a softness in her eyes that seemed to engender a subtle vulnerability. She didn't say anything to him, but for some reason or other he was sure that she wanted to ask him something.

Perhaps she simply couldn't find the words? But he understood completely.

"Come on." He offered a smile, waving her forwards, "You don't want to stay here, do you?"

For the first time ever he saw a genuine smile of contentment cross her face, and it only served to broaden his own grin. Without hesitation she stepped forwards, bowing a thank you as she stepped passed him, then disappeared into the portal.

Graeme chuckled softly, pausing for a moment or two, before following her into the fray.

A pair of dark, ominous eyes appeared in the shadows, watching the space where the human child had just been. Darkdramon stepped into the light.

"So..." his voice echoed all around him, "It is time."

He followed them into the human realm.

* * *

There was stunned silence. Mikemon had always known that Lilamon was a devious creature, hate-filled and spiteful. But this was a new low, even for her. Coronamon hadn't even had a chance to defend himself – hell, he hadn't even had time to realise what was happening! She'd simply deleted him, without remorse.

There was no data cloud. Coronamon wouldn't be reconfigured. He was gone, for good. It was a senseless death.

"How could you do that?!" The calico cat demanded, fists clenched and shaking in anger-filled outrage.

"Oh, please." The fairy turned her nose up at him, waving him away dismissively, as if the act was no worse than simply swatting a fly, "The little rat had it coming."

Mikemon's eyes blazed with a fury he hadn't felt in a long, long time, "Murderer," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Sticks and stones, mouse-breath."

He was seething, through to his very core, "If you weren't an ultimate..." he trailed off, clenched fists trembling.

Lilamon's expression became fully serious in less than an instant, and Mikemon saw her move far quicker than he'd ever noticed before. He didn't even have time to flinch before he found himself nose to nose with the fairy, her cold, hard glare burning its way into his soul.

"You'd what, hmmm?" she asked, low and ever so dangerous. It sent a chill up Mikemon's spine.

"Not quite so brave now, are we?" she snarled in an unusually feral manner, "Where's that righteous indignation now?"

Before he could stop himself, Mikemon lashed out at Lilamon, aiming to land three deep gashes across her face in some form of retribution. But no sooner had he moved to strike her than he found his paw immobilised, the evil ultimate grabbing his wrist and stopping him dead.

Without any exertion at all she lifted him clear of the ground, applying almost enough pressure to his wrist to break it. Wincing in pain, Mikemon anticipated a loud snap that never seemed to arrive.

"Do _not _underestimate me, fleabag." She hissed, holding him level with her face.

The deep sounding thud of heavy-booted footfalls followed closely by the high-pitched chime of metal against rock was sufficient to draw Lilamon's attention away from Mikemon for a moment. She held the cat completely immobile, keeping him suspended in agony, whilst allowing herself the time to look up.

Standing in front of her with a very peeved look on her face, fist tightly clenching her scythed staff, was Millimon. There was a rare steel in her grey eyes of the sort which clearly indicated she was not in the mood to be messed with.

"Put him down. _Now._"

The order was so cold and absolute that even Angewomon, not more than seven metres away, felt a distinct shiver run down her spine.

But Lilamon remained completely unimpressed, "Why don't you make me, vampire."

A bright glint traversed the full length of Millimon's great arched blade, running from tip to hilt and reflecting in her eyes. The innermost corner of her lip curled upwards in a slight smirk. With a deep inhalation, the pale-skinned vampiress closed her eyes, a silvery aura much like moonlight seeming to slowly envelop her.

She held the breath for a short moment. And then, exhaled.

Slowly from behind her a great pair of silvery wings unfurled, spiked and dangerous, the trailing edge of each culmination in three long points, every single one as sharp as the blade that she held in her secure grip.

Millimon flexed her wings gently, spreading them to full extension.

There was a moment of awed silence, and then the vampiress opened her eyes.

Lilamon dropped Mikemon to the ground. His wrist was numb but more or less unharmed, and he scrambled quickly out from between the two ultimate level Digimon, finding a safe spot somewhere between the small band of Digidestined and Angewomon.

Angewomon leaned over and whispered to Mikemon, curiosity getting the better of her, "What's going on?"

"They're going to fight." He replied, never once looking away from the scene ahead, "I think you may want to get the humans to a more secure spot."

Angewomon looked back over her shoulder to her friends. They were at least twice as far away from ground zero as she and Mikemon were, and she assumed that safe enough, "What makes you say that?"

"Millimon only wields her wings when she means business," he replied, tone so grave it was almost unsettling, "I've only seen her like this twice before."

Angewomon's curiosity was piqued, and she just had to ask, "What happened?"

Mikemon looked up at the angel, an unusual expression in his eyes, as if he were recalling a memory he would much rather have left untouched, "Death." He said simply, "Death happened."

They turned their gaze back to the fairy and vampire. Death was going to happen again.

* * *

The quintet couldn't have emerged in a worse location, except maybe at the gateway to hell itself. But at least Cerberus had only three heads. The thousand strong horde of Digimon around them made the prospect of the canine guardian from ancient mythology seem almost like a harmless puppy.

"Erm, hi..." Davis waved sheepishly as a thousand pairs of eyes came to rest on the group.

"Oooh..." Graeme sighed, slinking back slightly a step or two, "This is not good..."

But the attack he was expecting didn't come. In fact, the encircled group actually found that the Digimon surrounding them were stepping backwards, as if trying to distance themselves from something.

It took a moment for them to realise that the actual focus of the army's attention was AneiRenamon.

"Of course!" Graeme exclaimed quietly, stepping a little closer to AneiRenamon and leaning in to whisper, "They don't realise you're with us. They must think we're your prisoners."

AneiRenamon didn't take too long to realise what he was suggesting, and she knew through experience just how to play the part. Putting on her best scowl, she stepped in behind Graeme and Davis.

"Sorry about this..." she whispered apologetically, then gave them an almighty shove forwards. Getting the idea, the pair exchanged a brief glance before stumbling deliberately to their knees. Offering a quick glance over each of her shoulders to Veemon and Angemon she encouraged them to fall into place beside her, giving the impression that it was they who had swapped sides in order to help her.

"Puny human animals." She declared with insulting emphasis. When silence ensued she looked over at Veemon, jerking her head to the side.

His eyes went wide, "Ooh, erm... Filthy pig-dogs!" he spat, pretending to kick Davis aggressively.

Their audience all the while looked on in hushed confusion.

"You there!" AneiRenamon took the initiative, pointing at the nearest Digimon with a clawed digit, "Where is your commander?"

He seemed hesitant to reply at first, but playing her part the dark fox approached him as imposingly as she could, instilling a little fear into the small dragon-like creature.

"Um... Um..." he stuttered, "Madame Lilamon passed through here not long ago."

"_Madame_ Lilamon?" Graeme mouthed silently to Davis, who shrugged in response.

AneiRenamon towered over the creature before her, hoping it would scare him, "Which way did she go?" she demanded angrily.

"T-That way..." he pointed, "She went to destroy Millimon. She also mentioned something about the Dark Lord's powers..."

_Dark Lord's powers? _AneiRenamon pondered for a moment. If that meant what she thought it did, then they were in serious trouble.

She turned abruptly on the balls of her feet, "You and you," she pointed at Veemon and Angemon, issuing orders, "Bring _them_ along."

Nodding obligingly, the Digimon pair waited for their human friends to climb to their feet and ushered them forwards, following AneiRenamon's lead away from the thousand strong army and into the nearest patch of woods. They were heading in the direction Lilamon had gone.

Out of earshot at last, they relaxed from their respective roles of captives and guardians, surrendering a collective sigh of relief.

"I can't believe that worked." Graeme rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Good acting there, AneiRenamon."

"It's the least I could do." She bowed slightly, "But unless I'm mistaken Lilamon will be hunting down Millimon, ready for a fight to the death."

"And...?" Veemon questioned, taking his place beside Davis as they trudged on.

"And..." AneiRenamon explained, "Millimon was guarding the rest of the Digidestined. If they're still with her..."

"Lilamon will go after them too." Angemon finished her thought grimly, "TK... Kari... Gatomon..." Thoughts of the worst kind passed through his head, forcing him to shake them off as best he could.

"And if what that reptile back there said is true," AneiRenamon went on, "Darkdramon gave Lilamon at least part of his power. She could be as strong as a Mega, if not more."

"Damn..." Graeme winced, "This is not good."

"I'd suggest we find the group quickly." Angemon started, "They're going to need our help."

"But how do we find them?" Davis asked, holding up his hands, "It's not like Lilamon leaves footprints for us to follow."

"She's a flower." AneiRenamon stated bluntly, "Follow your nose."

Davis made a somewhat feeble attempt at sniffing the air, turning his head every which way but to no avail. Graeme rolled his eyes with a tut.

AneiRenamon chuckled, nodding understandingly, "Leave this to the professionals." She smirked, then slipped into a moment or two of concentration, drawing in deep breaths. Tracking Lilamon should prove little issue for her sensitive nose – as long as the fairy wasn't too far ahead of them.

There was the strong and distinct scent of sweat – human, if she wasn't mistaken. At least five or six different musks. They were accompanied by a faint tang of sulphur, boot polish and the unmistakable scent of synthetic fabric. It was definitely military, most likely covert ops. They hadn't been there any more than a few hours ago.

Pushing that from her mind, AneiRenamon attempted to focus on the more natural scents hanging in the air. Rotten wood, grass and tree pollen. And then the familiar scent of lilies filled her nostrils. That _had _to be Lilamon.

"Right." AneiRenamon opened her other senses fully to her surroundings, "This way."

And she stalked off into the woods.

* * *

Millimon deflected the series of pink beams with the sharp edge of her blade, dispersing them harmlessly into the ground, each impact causing an unexpectedly large concussion and crater.

It was the strangest of things; she couldn't recall Lilamon putting so much force into her special attacks with so little effort before. It was almost as if she were drawing on some other power source.

But Millimon didn't let it phase her – to doubt her own abilities would have been foolish, and quite possibly fatal.

Twirling her great scythe with nimble ease, she quickly brought it to bear against the flower fairy hovering before her, closing the short distance between them in the hopes of landing a blow. Lilamon met the onslaught with a rapid succession of her beauty slap technique, removing the possibility of any blows being landed with the simple series of backhand motions.

Bringing her own weapon to bear, Lilamon summoned up enough energy to form a blade in her hand – the Lilac Dagger.

"You're going to love this one." She smirked at Millimon cockily.

Lilamon lunged at Millimon with unexpected pace, though not so much that the vampiress had no means of defence. It was a simple enough task to twist out of the way, momentarily releasing the firm grip on her staff as Lilamon thrust through. She completed the twirl in time to catch her scythe before it fell.

Lilamon grumbled, turning back to face her opponent, "Impressive reactions."

"Indeed." Millimon raised an eyebrow.

"Alright." Lilamon's trademark grin returned, "Try this on for size!"

Drawing the sword back and forth in a berserker frenzy, she charged forwards a little more slowly this time. Millimon was forced to wield her own weapon in both hands, turning and twisting to block and parry each of the fairy's attacks. If things kept up as they were then Lilamon would eventually tire herself out, though Millimon got the distinct impression that she wasn't giving it her all just yet.

The pair locked blades, drawing in closely together, "So," Lilamon whispered, "how long do you think you can keep pace with me, vampire?"

Millimon pushed her away with all the strength she could muster, the duo separating by no more than a few feet, "As long as it takes."

"My, my!" the pink and green ultimate chuckled, "You're awfully confident. Well, let's see if we can't _fix _that."

The blade dissipated quite suddenly, and the familiar tingle of energy flowing through her body as she prepared to attack thrilled Lilamon. It was more intense than anything she'd experienced before, and it was her key to finally settling the score with Millimon.

She lifted herself into the air, rapidly gaining a few metres in altitude over the vampiress. Bringing her hands together, she wielded them in the manner she knew best, preparing her marvel shot attack.

The tips of her petals tingled, raw power radiating throughout her body.

Millimon was in her sights, staring down her airborne. A smirk crossed the fairy's face and her eyes narrowed. This was it!

"Obsidian Hail!"

A shower of darkest black projectiles rained down on the fairy. Though they posed her no real harm, they _did _hurt, cutting into the fragile felt of her flowery hands and knocking her off balance. Unable to react in time, her shot flew wide of the mark, obliterating a small patch of earth.

Millimon was taken aback. Lilamon's shot had moved much quicker than she'd expected... Had it been on target, her planned evasion would most likely have failed completely.

The fairy and the vampiress both turned to look for the newcomer. Landing not too far away, graceful and elegant in both action and composure, was AneiRenamon. She crossed her arms angrily, glaring directly at Lilamon.

"AneiRenamon?" the fairy gasped in surprise, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"She's helping to kick your arse."

That angered masculine voice... The intonation and vigour...

It was that vile human child; the one who'd taken her attack and gained nothing but forty winks as a result. Graeme. How she lamented him.

He stood there, taking a place beside AneiRenamon, defiance written all over his face. There was an Angemon with him, and she noted a D3 Digivice in his hand – green set against white. Was that Angemon the Patamon that had been with him earlier?

The presence of Graeme wasn't lost on the others there, either. Nor was the D3.

"Graeme!" Jayne bounced, bounding eagerly over to him like a rabbit on a sugar high. She pulled him into a tight bear-hug, squeezing the very breath out of him, "You're alright!"

"Jayne!" he gasped, hands flailing, "Put me down!"

The blonde stopped, blinking for a moment before letting him go, "Sorry..." she giggled lightly, "I'm just glad to see you."

Graeme smiled warmly.

Jayne leaned in quite suddenly, planting a soft peck on his cheek. The boy blushed profusely, his face turning beet red.

"That's for saving me from Lilamon's attack before..."

"Hey, is that my D3?" TK's voice broke into the moment, the blonde teen approaching Graeme, who held the device firmly in his hand.

Graeme, realising exactly who it was, stood in awe for a moment. He'd known that the D3 looked exactly like TK's. And now, here was the Digidestined of Hope himself, asking for it back.

Graeme didn't hesitate in offering it back to him, "Here."

"Graeme watch out!" Mikemon's shrill voice cut through the duo like nails on a blackboard. The little cat dived at him. Graeme, believing it to be an attack, shielded his face. But when he felt paws rather than claws hitting his chest he couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

He hit the deck, half-catching Mikemon in the process. Looking to where he'd been standing moments before he could see TK had been pulled backwards by Angemon. In the spot between them; the D3, the remnants of Lilamon's Lila Shower passing straight through it.

"Pay attention to me when I'm trying to kill you!" the monster raged loudly.

But Graeme's attention was fully on the D3. To his amazement it simply hung in the air, glowing intensely in the energy of the attack. As he watched, the pink light faded to orange, and the device seemed to split in too. But there was no loud crack – no crumbling of fragile metallic pieces. Instead the two hovering balls of light and energy swirled around each other for a moment, then headed in opposing directions – one to TK, one to Graeme, taking the form of the original D3 and a brand new D-Power.

"Oh boy..." Graeme sighed, looking over it intently.

A shadow came to rest over him, blocking out the sun and causing him to look up.

"Lilamon..."

She had her hands planted firmly on her hips, disbelief and anger mixing in her expression, "Great. First the girl, and now you... Anybody else want to admit to being a Digidestined?"

Pushing her glasses firmly up her nose, Yolei raised a hand, "I do!" she chimed happily.

"Me too." Cody followed suit.

"And me." Ken added with a grin.

"Jokers." Lilamon hissed, turning her full attention back to Graeme, "You've been a bane in my side on more than one occasion, boy." Her tone was hissed, low and angry, "I hate banes. It's time for you to die, and you can take that infernal cat with you!"

Her hands raised, forming the now familiar canon for her marvel shot.

Graeme winced, Mikemon on the ground beside him, "Well," he whispered, "Thanks for saving my life just now. I owe you."

Mikemon chuckled, appreciating the dry humour, "No problem, Grae."

Grae... He hadn't been called that in a long time. Not since Kyna...

Graeme returned his attention to the source of his oblivion. For a moment, he dared to look past the weapon of his demise, noting with some grief the eyes of his murderer. He saw nothing but hatred there, directed solely at him. Simply for the crime of daring to survive her last attack. Simply for being who he was.

Well, today was not a good day to die.

Grabbing Mikemon, Graeme pushed himself off to one side, rolling away from the attack the instant Lilamon fired. He felt the impact as it tore into the ground where he'd been not a second earlier, and he stopped rolling less than a metre from the very spot.

Fury filled Lilamon to the very core, "Stop moving!" she roared in rage.

A quick tap on her shoulder caught her attention, and she turned to look.

That was when Millimon's fist impacted squarely with the fairy's cheek bone, a sickening thud permeating the air as she was sent sprawling.

"Bitch." Millimon spat, planting her scythe firmly into the ground and letting it stand alone.

"See?" Mikemon, still in Graeme's arms, jerked his hand towards the pale vampiress, "_That's _why I love her."

Graeme couldn't help but nod.

* * *

Darkdramon watched from the shadows as Lilamon was sent sprawling. He'd watched the whole fight, and her sheer incompetence was startling. Using nothing but brute force, she'd twice been out manoeuvred by her opponents. She always had been a crude being.

Perhaps issuing her such powers had been a mistake?

As he watched her climb back to her feet he began to play out the rest of the battle in his mind. Despite her sloppy tactics, Darkdramon knew that the odds were still in her favour. Every attack on the flower fairy had irritated and embarrassed her, but done her no real harm. She was still at full strength.

So he would watch events unfold. And he would wait for his moment.

Then, he would make himself known.

* * *

Wow, that was a bit of a long one. Hope it all made sense. Parts of it felt a little flat and long-winded to me, so please let me know what you thought.

Thanks for reading.

NKC.


	21. Chapter XXI

**Chapter XXI**

Twisting rapidly in mid-air, Millimon folded back her left wing, spilling altitude as quickly as she could. A rush of air passed narrowly by her right ear, signalling that Lilamon's dive had narrowly missed by a matter of millimetres. An uncomfortably close shave, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.

Spreading her wings wide, the air caught again, her momentum carrying her upwards and away. She turned more slowly this time, eyes scanning for any sign of Lilamon. She could only hope she had the high ground.

"Marvel Shot!"

The vampiress, as nimble in the air as she had been on the ground, was once again forced to sacrifice the high ground in order to evade, folding back both of her wings and dropping like a stone. Lilamon's onslaught missed just as before, but there was no way now for Millimon to regain the lost altitude.

She felt lucky that the flower fairy had been dumb enough to declare the attack and give her enough time to get out of the way.

"Well, when you're quite done getting out of my way," Lilamon boomed with a smirk from her vantage point several metres higher up than Millimon, "Come and let me know when you're ready to fight."

Millimon had to scoff. If Lilamon thought she'd fall for such simple tactics then she was very much mistaken, "I'm not like you, Lilamon. I won't seek revenge for petty insults."

The flower fairy fumed, her face turning an angry shade of red, almost as if she were trying to prove Millimon's point.

"I should've destroyed you long ago." She glowered, eyes narrowing as she formed one of her petal-fringed hands back into her Lilac Dagger.

"As I recall," Millimon mused with a professional poker face, "You've tried several times."

"And failed!" Mikemon chirped up, still beside Graeme on the ground below. His tail was wagging in impatient agitation, curling around rapidly behind him. There was little he could do to help Millimon from way down there, but that didn't mean he couldn't offer support – even in the form of jibes.

"You're next, fleabag." Lilamon promised, shooting him a glare that threatened spontaneous combustion upon the calico feline.

Mikemon simply grinned up at her. She was about to ask what he found so amusing when she felt a hard object hit her across the head from behind. The impact was severe enough to knock Lilamon out of the air, and she impacted the ground with a harsh thud, kicking up a fair amount of dirt.

When the cloud settled the fairy clambered ungracefully back to her feet, dusting herself off. Only her pride was wounded.

When she finally turned around Millimon was standing a few metres away, her scythe back in her hands. Somehow she'd managed to collect it and use it to knock Lilamon out of the skies without her noticing.

"You _really _should keep your eyes on your opponent during a fight, Lilamon." The vampiress taunted.

Lilamon scowled, angered that she'd been caught out, throwing down her fists and taking up a fighting stance, "Enough games." She spat. She'd wanted to toy with Millimon and have a little fun, but the fight was turning into a thorough embarrassment, "It's time to end this."

Millimon simply bowed her head, "As you wish."

But the attack was sudden, if not unexpected, with Lilamon moving quicker than anything Millimon had ever seen before. Before she could even flinch, she felt Lilamon's dagger nick the exposed flesh of her shoulder, drawing darkened blood.

With a hiss of pain, Millimon winced and clutched the wound with her free hand.

Just as quickly, Lilamon dashed around full circle, repeating the attack on her other shoulder. She came to a stop in the exact spot she'd departed not moments before, her back to Millimon.

"You see, vampire, I am faster and stronger than you." Her voice was a near whisper, dangerous and cold.

Taking a deep breath, Millimon steeled herself against the pain, forcing it to fade to a dull ache. It would heal quickly enough, and she refused to show any weakness to Lilamon at all.

"Ah, the defiant silence," Lilamon quipped, grinning from ear to ear, "Let's test that resolve, shall we?"

"Bring it on, fairy."

The playfulness, the resentment, even the grin disappeared from Lilamon's face. An out of place seriousness faded into her expression, and it was difficult to miss the fact that the flower fairy clearly meant business.

Preparing to defend herself, Millimon took a firm grip of her scythed staff with both hands, bringing the massive curved blade across her upper body like a shield. Her wings raised up, curling around her shoulders to protect the exposed injuries she'd sustained.

She was ready.

But so was Lilamon.

Her wrists locked together with firm resolve, palms growing with golden electricity. It took a fraction of the usual time for the pulse to reach its maximum intensity – all Millimon could do was brace herself.

But a sudden shriek of surprise from Lilamon drew her attention immediately. There was Mikemon, mid leap, teeth bared in a snarl and sinking his claws deep into Lilamon's petal-formed forearms.

The attack released, wildly aimed and off target, flying up into the sky and disappearing from view.

Lilamon made a quick grab for Mikemon, trying desperately to catch him before he landed. But the surprising suddenness of his attack had caught her off guard, and the calico cat was firmly landed and steady on his feet before she could fully twist to grasp him.

Instead, the flower fairy allowed one hand to circle in Mikemon's direction. She fully intended to blast him to pieces with her Lila Shower, though she kept at least part of her attention on Millimon as well.

The vampiress was too far away to help her friend, given Lilamon's enhanced speed.

"Say goodbye, _cat._" She spat in anger.

A firm tap on the shoulder drew her attention away, "Huh?" she half turned.

A rather large rock collided harshly with Lilamon's forehead, knocking her sideways. She staggered, barely keeping her balance, blinking in rapid succession as her vision swam. Quickly getting her focus back, Lilamon's eyes came to rest on the unimpressed face of that blonde human girl - Jayne.

She had her hands on her hips, a stern look in her eyes, "For a fairy," she began, "you have real anger issues."

"You..." Lilamon blinked, not fully believing herself, "You hit me with a rock!"

"There's no fooling you, huh?" Jayne rolled her eyes sarcastically, tossing the heavy stone absently in one hand.

Lilamon was about to tear into the foul little human when another impact sent her staggering forwards, lowering her to her knees. The back of her head throbbed with a dull pain, the gentle caress of her petal hands doing little to alleviate the issue.

She turned to look for the culprit. Behind her, standing beside that blasted Mikemon, was the human male who'd survived so many of her earlier attempts to terminate him.

"Stop throwing rocks at me!" Lilamon raged impotently.

Graeme simply bent over and picked up another stone, tossing it from one hand to another.

"Human beast!" she roared.

Almost too quickly for Graeme to keep up with, Lilamon dug her feet into the ground, traction propelling her forwards. In the time it took him to blink she was upon him, tackling him by the midsection.

The wind left him, pain exploding from his abdomen as he was hit with all the force of a bus. The last thing he felt was his head hitting the ground. And then, darkness.

----

_There she was again, the one true embodiment of his past. She stood in the boundary between the darkness and the light, appearing almost as if she were hollow, a part of the shadows all around. The light twinkled softly in the palest grey eyes, bringing them to life in a way that imparted a reticent warmth upon any who knew where to look._

_Her eyes danced. Her eyes smiled._

"_Kyna..." Graeme spoke softly into the shadow-filled beyond, "What are you doing here?"_

_Silently, she stepped forwards fully, entering the light in which he stood, "Graeme..." she began calmly, circling around him slowly, "Your destiny is at hand."_

"_My destiny?" Graeme raised an eyebrow, turning as she paced in order to keep facing her. He couldn't help but wonder if she was here to feed him riddles again, just as she had before. Though something about her demeanour told him that this time was different. She seemed far less playful – so much more serious._

"_You and Jayne," she continued, stopping in her tracks and turning to face him, "You both hold the power to end this."_

"_Power? What power?" Graeme frowned, not following her at all, "And to end what? The fight with Lilamon? The invasion?"_

"_The power within." Was the cryptic reply._

_Graeme threw his hands up in the air with an exasperated groan, "You're talking in riddles, Kyna. I don't understand what you're talking about!"_

_The dark-haired girl reached into her pocket, pulling out a familiar little device. It was small, metallic with a brown screen surround and buttons. It chirped once, as if in recognition, as Kyna held it out to Graeme, "The answers are closer than you think."_

_Graeme's mind paused for a moment, flashing back to the device's first appearance and Lilamon's comments._

"Anybody else want to admit to being a Digidestined?_"_

_Reaching out, he took the device carefully from her. He wasn't too sure what he was expecting, but the event passed with little remark._

_A million questions surfaced in his mind, but in the end he could only articulate the one, "Who's my Digimon partner?"_

_Kyna's trademark grin spread across her face in a wave, an air of knowledge and mischief adding to its mysterious depth, "Just look around." She explained, "He's closer than you think."_

_Before Graeme had the chance to reply the darkness erupted, taking hold of him again. But the sparkling light of Kyna's grey eyes lingered in his mind. Her words echoed for a moment. But there was nothing more he could do as consciousness finally retook him._

_---_

Darkness returned once more to the dull, blurred greys that were becoming a far too common theme for Graeme's liking. Consciousness returned, but each time he went through this it seemed like the lines between reality and the supernatural were growing less well defined.

Greys eventually surrendered to the contrasting forms of definition, and a soft female voice roused him all the way back to the present.

"Wake up Graeme," it was Jayne's pleading tone, "Are you alright?"

Seeing recognition of her presence elicited a welcoming smile, and with a little effort she soon had him sitting upright.

He simply looked at her and blinked for a moment, quickly gaining his bearings. The angered snarl of Lilamon didn't take too long to appear, drawing Graeme's attention in her direction. She looked not at him, but at a small foe before her, occupying the ground between herself and the place where Graeme and Jayne were perched.

It was Mikemon, standing ready to fight the clearly more powerful ultimate. Kyna's ghostly words echoed through his mind,

"_Just look around. He's closer than you think..."_

"Mikemon..." the dawn of revelation graced him with its presence, offering a moment of pure clarity, "I understand now..."

In his hand he still gripped the D-Power, its warm glow seeming to pass through his flesh to his very core – his soul, if he even believed in such things. This device, a sign of bond and friendship, was a link to a Digimon, and if Kyna had been right... Mikemon was that Digimon.

"Understand what?" Jayne piped up, curiosity begging the question.

"Well," he lifted his D-Power up so she could see the screen, "If I'm right..."

As she watched he tapped a couple of the buttons, as if he'd done it before, and called up the image and statistics of a Digimon. The feline was clearly Mikemon, illustrated in his current pose. Stats read out his type, his level and his general condition. But the most intriguing fact was listed under Tamer.

"Tamer: Graeme Hebdon..." she read at barely a whisper.

In an instant Jayne had removed her own D-Power, fingers rapidly calling up the same information as Graeme, "Millimon... Jayne Woodward." The awe on her face was unparalleled, "Millimon and Mikemon... They're _our _partners?"

Graeme's nod was accompanied by a very serious expression.

But Jayne was a little puzzled, "What does this mean?"

"It means," he began, "That we have to help them."

"How?"

There were no words in response. But the glimmer in his eyes spoke of a plan, and the smirk on his lips punctuated it perfectly.

"Anei?" He waved the shadowy vulpine over. She leaned down, allowing Graeme to whisper in her ear.

Jayne couldn't make out what was being said, but AneiRenamon's slight nod was a positive sign.

"Think you can find it?" Graeme asked as the digital fox straightened up again.

She offered a smirk and a wink, "No problem." Then vanished into the ether.

Jayne folded her arms across her chest, frowning, "What are you up to Graeme?"

Just like AneiRenamon he smirked and winked, "Trust me."

-----

It wasn't hard for AneiRenamon to locate the place Graeme had told her about. Though it looked very much like every other block of student accommodation in the area she was highly proficient at reading human languages, and the conveniently placed numbers allowed her to find the address with ease.

Getting in was no problem either. The window had been left open, so phasing wasn't required. She simply pushed off the ground, leaping through the gaping maw and landing with a silent thud in the midst of Graeme's room.

There was the distinct scent of human male in the stale air, and clear indications that Patamon had been here too. It was a little untidy, but not too badly kept.

But she wasn't there to assess the living standard of the human student. She was here to retrieve a very special item.

"Third draw on the left, under the lockbox..." AneiRenamon recited from memory. It was important she didn't get this wrong.

The desk in front of the window had to be the one he'd described to her – it was the only desk in the room, after all. And the third draw... Well, it had to be the bottom one.

She knelt carefully on the floor, careful not to dig her foot-claws into the carpet, and pulled the drawer clean out of the desk. She winced at the slight cracking noise it made as the runner stops broke.

"Whoops..." she chuckled nervously, placing the drawer down on the ground, "Don't know my own strength..."

At least it was the right drawer, and she hadn't broken it for nothing. The bright red lockbox was there right at the back, just as Graeme had described. She lifted it out and placed it to one side, out of the way. And beneath it, normally hidden from view, was a very worn looking leather pouch only a few inches long and not quite as wide. The popper on the front looked like brass, but it hadn't been polished in a long time.

Gently, she extracted it from its berth, lifting it up and un-popping the seal with a single digit. It was full – all the contents he described were there – and she flicked through it carefully.

"Perfect!" a smile warmed her face.

She took a moment to relocate the drawer onto its runners, sliding it back flush with the desk. Not another moment was wasted, and she dived out of the window, leather case in hand.

-----

"Get out of my way, Mikemon." Lilamon snarled with all the fury of a coiled viper. But the venom in her eyes did little to dissuade the small feline from his stance.

"Now, Lilamon, I know you're not the brightest bulb on the tree..." Mikemon grinned in a way which he knew would infuriate her, "But you should know by now that I _never _do what you ask."

"I wasn't asking." The flower fairy retorted in an instant, "I'm telling you. Move. Now." There was no way in the whole of digital hell that she was going to allow Mikemon to keep her from destroying that retched human boy.

Her anger boiled over when the cocky little calico simply crossed his arms.

"You cannot hope to beat me." She snarled, unperturbed.

"And you can't hope to beat us." Angewomon stepped in from the side, standing next to Mikemon and copying his crossed-arm pose. Angemon was with her, taking Mikemon's other side.

"An ultimate and a champion." Lilamon waved her hand dismissively, "Meagre irritations."

"Is that really what you think?" another female voice interrupted from behind. Spinning around in mid air, Lilamon saw the small group of Digidestined – five humans, the purple haired female at their lead, and their Digimon.

"Aquilamon, Ankylomon, ExVeemon. Stingmon." She chuckled in response, "Oh, how quaint."

"As you can see," Mikemon began, drawing the hovering fairy's attention back to where he stood. Millimon, scythe in hand, landed behind him in silence. One of her hands fell to rest on Mikemon's shoulder, eliciting a momentary glance upwards from the feline and a soft smile. Millimon returned it in kind.

"We do not stand alone." The vampiress completed for him.

All hell was about to break loose.

----

AneiRenamon really didn't think she'd been gone that long. She'd heard the rage of battle from some way off, explosions punctuating cries of pain and exertion in a way that sent a vile shiver down her spine.

But all of that was nothing compared to the sight which greeted her. The Digidestined's Digimon partners lay all around a charred earth, battered, bruised and broken. It was a scene of desolation that would be better suited to darkest nightmare.

The true horror, though, was the powerful being that dominated the centre of the carnage. Lilamon, hovering in all her loathsome glory, stood victorious over her enemies.

But somehow, still standing between Graeme, Jayne, and the powerful fairy – in much the defiant pose as when she'd left, if a little tattered and torn – were the last hopes of the Digidestined, and quite possibly the world.

Millimon and Mikemon.

"And now," Lilamon's voice boomed unexpectedly, a power so grave and uncontested emanating from her comparatively small being that it sent a bolt of fear to AneiRenamon's very core, "Time to die."

----

Cliff-hanger! It took ages to write that. But then, I wanted to get it spot on. Felt a lot like filler to me, but I'll leave the judgement down to you.

Thanks for reading.

NKC.


	22. Chapter XXII

**Chapter XXII**

Lilamon hovered in triumph. Dispatching the Digidestined's Digimon had proved child's play, and she'd saved the pleasure of defeating Mikemon and Millimon until last. She hadn't deleted any of the Digimon yet, but there was no way they would be fighting again anytime soon. They were no threat.

She could feel the power that her Dark Lord had given her course throughout her body, pulsing in waves. It invigorated her senses, drove her on and made her almost invincible!

On the ground beneath her, strewn haphazardly like rag dolls, the Digimon of the Digidestined lay helpless. A couple of well timed Un Deux Pollen attacks on Lilamon's part had left them all suffering from the same distressing paralysis – even if they'd wanted to fight, there was nothing they could do.

An angel lay apparently unconscious almost right beneath the hovering flower fairy. The champion level that he was, he'd suffered more than his female counterpart at the hands of the attack, going down in the initial wave of attacks.

"Angemon?" a soft voice echoed through his mind. It took a moment for him to realise that he'd actually heard it rather than imagined it, but he recognised who it belong to instantly; Angewomon.

Attempted movement was agony to him, but he somehow managed to turn over to face her. She looked battered and bruised. But she seemed more able to move than him.

"Are you OK?" Angewomon couldn't bring herself to stand – she'd tried already, with no luck and a lot of trembling waves of pain – so she was left with dragging herself towards Angemon. The poor angel looked as if he'd been trampled by a stampeding herd of Monochromon.

"I've felt better." He replied drily, voice strained. He was in pain, though he was trying to hide it. An unsettling sensation passed through his body, a pure white energy engulfing his entire form. When it subsided Angemon was Patamon again. "Well, so much for that."

At least he felt better, shedding the damaged, corrupted data of his champion form.

Angewomon offered him a telling smile just before she herself reverted to Gatomon.

"Come on," she offered a paw, once again able to move and helping Patamon up, "Let's get the others out of here."

Patamon agreed with a nod.

* * *

The Typhoon swooped in above the treetops, falling like a bird of prey upon its target. In place of talons hung a whole arsenal of deadly missiles, bombs and other assorted weapons designed solely to deal out death. Once in range there was no hesitation in letting them fly, committed to the enemy's fate.

The explosions were devastating, carving up vast swathes of land and hurling chunks of debris and dust into the air. Impact craters scarred the landscape, surrounded by charred, uprooted trees, each volley snapping branches and limbs as if they were little more than toothpicks.

But their enemy – massing battalions of strange creatures much like beings from some ancient, mystic fairytale – seemed to barely suffer at all. Only those taking a direct hit were destroyed, nothing else nearby sporting so much as a scratch.

Watching for his wingmen, the pilot of the deadly machine could only note in frustration as his comrades' assaults was met with the same result. This was no way to win a fight!

"Bloody hell!" The pilot cursed beneath his facemask, "Command, this is Delta Wing. Tertiary sweep has proven ineffective. Ammunition depleted. Suggest return to base, over."

The frustrated anger in his voice was no doubt clear even over the background interference on the radio.

"_Delta Wing, this is Command. Suggestion noted and confirmed. Please return to base for full debriefing, over."_

"Roger that."

Signalling to his wingmen, the pilot turned his plane the full one-eighty on a pinhead and set his course back to the airbase. But awaiting him, hovering in a vast swarm, were literally thousands of the creatures he'd just tried to destroy. They must've taken to the air just after the flyover assault. And boy, did they look pissed.

Beneath his mask a sly grin spread across the pilot's face, the predator in him eager for the fight. This prey was a very tempting sport.

"Command," he punched up his radio communications again, "Disregard last transmission. Enemy is attempting to engage at reference 53 57 30 by 1 5 48. Suggest reinforcements dispatched immediately, over."

The hesitation was filled with the crackling of the radio as the pilot and his wingmen – both privy to the transmissions – awaited the response.

At last, _"This is command. Auxiliary support squadrons Delta Three through Delta Nine dispatched to your current location. Engage to destroy targets. Repeat, engage to destroy. Over."_

"With pleasure."

And he punched up the afterburners, going supersonic.

* * *

Lilamon didn't even notice the goings on beneath her as the Digidestined's Digimon devolved and headed back to their respective partners. She was far too focussed on Mikemon and Millimon. This would indeed be a victory to relish!

"I don't know why you're so defiant." She gloated at the feline and vampiress, the glee clear in her voice, "I've just swept aside an ultimate and four champions. What hope do you have?"

Mikemon tilted his head in a comically inquisitive manner. His voice was deadpan, and he raised an eyebrow mockingly, "Who said this had anything to do with hope? I just enjoy being a pain in _your _arse."

The distant explosive resonance of a sonic boom caused Lilamon to flinch before she could retort, head snapping in the direction of the sound. Her guard down, Millimon sprang into motion without so much as a second thought, scythe gripped firmly in both hands as she leapt into the air. Mikemon was a little slower to react, but the muscles in his legs coiled and released on demand, pushing him forwards into the air as he extended his claws.

Millimon's high, swooping arc lifted her into the air above Lilamon. She allowed her wings to unfurl, carrying her forwards through the air for a moment before folding back to let her drop like a meteor upon the unsuspecting fairy, drawing her scythe down without remorse, all the skill of the reaper himself brought to bear.

Mikemon, claws outstretched before him and wielded to great effect aimed his assault directly at the fairy's midriff, ready to sink the faux steel tips into the soft flesh of her abdomen.

Lilamon was quick, her Lilac Dagger forming from her right forearm in an instant as the duo's movement caught her eye – just quick enough to be drawn up in retort, blocking Millimon's downwards blow to the thunderous clang of steel against steel. The wan smirk on Millimon's lips revealed to Lilamon that her attack had never been intended to strike true – as the stronger opponent, she knew that Lilamon would choose to deflect any assault from herself. Lilamon had been outplayed.

The screeching, hissing ball of fur that was Mikemon was left unhindered, and Lilamon could offer little more than a cry of pain as she felt each claw puncture her fine skin like a hypodermic needle. The move wasn't all that dissimilar from the one Mikemon had witnessed Gatomon use to great effect against Coronamon. Unlike Coronamon, however, Lilamon wasn't forced to the ground - Mikemon had to use his momentum in another way.

His claws failed to impact against bone, but they sunk deep enough to afford him purchase against the flower fairy. The claws of his feet weren't anywhere near as exaggerated as the ones on his hand-paws, but he used them regardless. Pulling his now bloodied hands out of Lilamon's open wounds, he pushed up with his feet against her stomach, essentially running up the front of the fairy, sinking his claws deeply into the exposed flesh between her collar bone and neck.

Mikemon clenched his claws with incredible force, twisting them and following the motion around over one of her shoulders, the sickening sound of his claws scraping against Lilamon's bones as they slid free.

Falling now behind her, Mikemon's lightening reflexes allowed him the time to slow his descent by raking his left-hand claws down the full length of her back, bloody traces drawn out from her shoulder to the small of her back.

He landed, stained with Lilamon's sap-like blood, with the remaining grace his exertion had afforded him.

Mere moments had passed, and Mikemon felt exhausted.

Millimon, still face to face with Lilamon, relished the obvious pain the flower fairy expressed in both sound and pose. Feeling her job done, she stepped to the side, allowing Lilamon to simply fall to her knees. Translucent sap-like blood ran down her front almost in a torrent at first. The exposed wounds on her back bled less profusely, but they were still significant scores.

All cries of pain silent now, Lilamon shook lightly, seeming to be coughing lightly – perhaps on her own blood. But that illusion soon passed, growing laughter ringing out in ever increasing volume.

Lilamon rose somewhat shakily to her feet. Standing upright the open wounds Mikemon had inflicted seemed somehow less severe.

"You foolish cat." The flower fairy laughed, each breath delicious agony, "You attack me like I'm nothing more than your prey. I'm a flower – I can't bleed to death. I have no lungs, no vital organs, no heart."

Mikemon watched as Lilamon turned to face him, dread setting in as he noticed the 'sap' beginning to congeal over her wounds. Other than inflicting pain, he'd done no real damage.

"And now," She towered over him like a sceptre of death. And boy, did she look pissed. "Time to die."

"Oh shi-"

* * *

AneiRenamon watched with horror as Lilamon wrapped her petal fingers around Mikemon's neck. The chocking sounds from the little cat as the demonic fairy squeezed the life from him would haunt her for the rest of her days.

"No!" A yell of rage from Millimon, more anger held within that brief tone than anything heard from any fiendish being that had ever walked the digital realm.

The vampiress swung her staff, hoping to bring the scythe down across Lilamon's wrist and relieve her of possession of her hand. But at the summit of the great blade's arc Lilamon's free hand erupted with energy, unleashing an attack with such brutish force that the instant it impacted Millimon in her midsection that she was sent flying through the air. She hit the ground, hard, tumbling several times before coming to a rest face-first in the dirt.

"Stay out of this." Lilamon hissed with potent wrath, fingers drawing so tightly around Mikemon's neck that she began to draw blood.

As AneiRenamon saw it she just had to act.

The worn leather pouch held safely in her hands was the key to all this, its contents perhaps now Mikemon's only salvation.

Casting aside any thoughts of guilt for trespass against somebody else's property, she flipped open the lid. There were cards held within, comprising a staggering array of variety. But there was one in particular she was searching for – one key to the life of a fellow Digimon.

"Mikemon!" AneiRenamon's attention was drawn away for a moment, the voice of Graeme distracting her from her task. The boy had jumped unsteadily to his feet, no doubt hoping to charge in and save his new-found friend. But the efforts of Jayne – doing little more than holding Graeme firmly by the wrist – stopped him in his tracks.

"Come on..." AneiRenamon mumbled, returning with vigour to the task at hand. The contents were perused at a rapid pace. And, quite suddenly, there was the fruit of her quest.

Wasting no time she yanked the thing from its prison of bedfellows, pausing to do a momentary double take, just in case.

This was it. It was time.

"Graeme!" She held the card aloft between two thick digits.

The boy looked. The despair on his face was replaced with a smirk as realisation set in. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew his D-Power, holding it aloft in mimic of AneiRenamon.

She returned the grin. And Jayne, seeing what was happening, released Graeme's arm.

"Catch!" the shadowy fox flicked her wrist, the card flying the distance more like a dart than a mere piece of card. Graeme had only to pluck it from the air. The entire deck – top sealed – followed in its wake, plucked this time by Jayne.

AneiRenamon watched with satisfaction as the smirk on Graeme's face intensified to mischief. He held the card and the D-Power with deliberate intent.

"Lilamon!" he shouted, wielding the fairy's name like a curse word, "Put Mikemon down _now_!"

Her grip could be seen to waver a moment, the near unconscious Mikemon taking the opportunity to draw a hurried breath as the chance presented itself. Lilamon didn't clamp down again immediately, distracted by the human boy's demands.

"Or what?" Lilamon spat in riposte.

"Or I'll make you." He didn't hesitate. He didn't even draw breath. Keeping his eyes locked firmly on Lilamon's he drew the card through the reader.

Sparks flew. And Lilamon knew in an instant what was happening.

Mikemon too had a sneaky suspicion. Energy flowed around him, flowed _into _him, filling his being with life's sweet intensity. It all happened so fast, and he truly felt he may break apart under the influx of electricity he was sure he was feeling.

But of course, he knew. This wasn't deletion. This was data being reconfigured. This was a new strength. And somewhere in his mind he felt a word blossom just before his body erupted with the data flow.

"Digivolution..."

And Lilamon began to know fear.

---

Darkdramon watched the battle from somewhere within the darkness. All in all, he was not amused by the flow of the battle. Lilamon was drawing out the fight – one she should have been able to win easily enough. She was being downright sloppy in both tactics and execution.

She had always been a crude being. Maybe he had misjudged her?

"Perhaps it is time I took back my powers and reunited it with my own strength." His voice echoed silently into nothingness.

He raised a giant claw in the direction of Lilamon, almost as if he were casting a spell, and summoned back the energy he had given her. _He_ would put it to far better use.

* * *

When the light subsided, Lilamon could no longer feel the form of a small cat in her grasp. That incarnation had passed, giving way now to an entirely different being. This one – equal in size to both herself and Millimon – had the distinct tang of power about his aura.

He seemed framed almost by moonlight, standing in simple, poignant silence. Eyes framed in darkened shadow, hidden behind a bistre curtain of hair. Huge black wings, cast like those of a raptor, enveloped him from the waist down, hiding too the lower portions of a scythe-tipped staff not all too dissimilar from that of Millimon, though it lacked the length and rearwards tip.

His eyes were closed, though hard to see, and he did little more than draw deep breath. His thin, dark lips could be seen below the ruffled fringe of hair, curling upwards just enough to bare sharp, pointed canines.

Lilamon's overtly confident rage was momentarily subdued, giving way to a puzzled silence as she beheld the being before her.

As she watched his fingers tensed, gripping the staff in his hands firmly. With a powerful thrust his wings were spread wide and his head snapped up. Eyes of steel and cobalt fired daggers of resentment at the flower fairy.

It was Millimon who broke the silence, using little more than a whisper to do so, "Vrykolakasmon..."

Even AneiRenamon hadn't been expecting this. Though she hadn't recognised the creature which had been Mikemon, the name held power for most Nightmare Soldier Digimon. Vrykolakasmon was a legend – a living nightmare. Myths and hushed stories told of an ancient being, a former master of legions upon legions of nightmarish and twisted beings.

"Lilamon..." the word drove softly from his lips, a whisper on the breeze.

The flower fairy simply put her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

"Man, he looks mean..." Jayne muttered in awe, standing by Graeme's side a little way off from the epicentre.

"Vrykolakasmon," Graeme held up his D-Power so that they could both read from it, "Ultimate level Nightmare Soldier. Special attacks, twilight haze and soul reaper."

"Kind of makes you glad he's on our side, right?" AneiRenamon padded silently up beside the pair, keeping her distance from the fight. An ultimate level spat was no place for a rookie.

During the Vrykolakasmon-Lilamon standoff, Millimon had taken the time to move in closer to the pair. She slipped into place beside Vrykolakasmon without uttering a single word, an inexplicable compulsion urging her unto the spot. It was a strange feeling – partly of her own desire, and part... something else.

"Well, well," Lilamon snorted, hands firmly planted on her hips, "Two ultimates against one fairy with the powers of a dozen megas." The cocky confidence that summed up Lilamon's arrogant personality in a single expression dripped from her every word, "This shouldn't be too much of a problem. The flea-ridden feline and his slu-"

Vrykolakasmon's movement was too fast for the naked eye – a pale fist wrapped slender fingers around her throat. True, Lilamon couldn't be choked to death. But it was enough to silence her; enough to prove painful.

"I would choose your next words very carefully, imp." Vrykolakasmon's voice was dangerously quiet, kept low and even. His intent was clear in his vice-like grip, if not in his words.

Anger flashed in Lilamon's eyes, directed in outrage at the threat. Her angered eyes drifted towards Millimon.

"Slut." Her words dripped with venom.

Vrykolakasmon's grip increased in strength a thousand-fold, Lilamon's frail plant-like skin breaking at each fingertip, each intrusion searing like an intense flame. The scream she let out was truly chilling – pure animalistic agony. Effortlessly, Lilamon was raised from the ground, her neck supporting her entire weight, legs kicking out reflexively.

When Vrykolakasmon looked up at her his cold expression elicited genuine fear in the flower fairy. This wasn't right. This couldn't be happening.

"You lack the energies of a mega." The vampire snarled. Lifting his staff in his free hand, he planted it firmly in the ground, letting it stand free. The now unoccupied hand held high, an unmistakable green energy seemingly pulsing in and out of Vrykolakasmon's very flesh, "I think it's about time I had your soul."

Lilamon had less than a moment to figure out what was going on. There was no mercy in his eyes – she knew she wouldn't get any. Not now. All she could see in him now was determination. Perhaps even vengeance. For words used against Millimon? For the merciless death of Coronamon? For years of taunting and bullying?

"I'm-"

Vrykolakasmon's hand descended in a heartbeat, silencing Lilamon. There was a dull pain as it penetrated her chest. Looking down, his forearm simply disappeared into her flesh – there was no open wound, though it felt like there was. She could feel his fingers tense into a fist, and then he was pulling. She had no heart, she knew. But what was he...?

She didn't have a chance to finish the thought. The world began to fade into greyness, edges retreating into darkness first. It was like tunnel vision, closing in on her, limiting her field of view until at last all that remained as the face of her opponent.

Something in the back of her mind cried out in protest, screaming for her to resist somehow. But Lilamon lacked the energy.

Strange memories floated to the surface of her consciousness just before her vision faded completely; long forgotten, distant fragments.

A sunny, cloudless sky...

A fight against some obscure opponent as a Lalamon...

A rush of strength and a winning blow...

Warm, fragmented data giving her energy and renewed life...

A long forgotten human face...

Inexplicable fragments.

The moments of her life, coming together for a final reunion.

Stepping-stones in her life, a long winding path from one moment to another...

All leading into this one.

And then, nothing.

* * *

Lilamon reliving some mysterious memories there. I'd like to know what you think. So let me know.

Not long left now.

Thanks for reading.

NKC


	23. Chapter XXIII

**Chapter XXIII**

Vrykolakasmon watched intently as Lilamon's eyes grew dull and lifeless. There was no more tension in her body, every muscle going briefly limp as the last of her being retreated into the ether. The withdrawal of his hand was slow and careful, and he took the time to support her body and lower it to the ground.

Even an enemy deserved a little bit of respect.

But she wasn't there for long. After only a few seconds, Lilamon's body began to glow, eventually separating off into individual bits of data. They hung in the air, almost expectantly, only to be whisked away into the wind.

Millimon stepped up close by Vrykolakasmon's side, her frame somewhat smaller than his. A soft, pale hand rose up to rest on his shoulder.

"That was a very noble thing you just did." She kept her voice soft and gentle, reassuring in its own way.

His gaze didn't waver from the space in front of him where the data cloud had been, focus ebbing entirely from his mind, "She deserves the second chance Coronamon will never get." He stated simply.

"With a little luck, she'll be reconfigured." Millimon smiled slightly, a thoughtful glint in her eye as she considered the possibilities, "You think she'll have any memory of this?"

Vrykolakasmon's response was simple, though strangely cryptic, "One never can tell."

"Did you really have to kill her?" It was Cody - the youngest member of the Digidestined - with his earnest disposition that posed the question Mikemon had always asked himself after vanquishing an opponent in battle.

The fact that he had to ask himself that still now, countless victories after his first, spoke wonders of his conscience. But now, as Vrykolakasmon, he had his answer.

He beheld the child with some regard, willing to acknowledge a budding wisdom within the youngster even now in the earliest spring years of his life. There was a great man inside him only just beginning to show. Vrykolakasmon held a certain respect for that, "Sometimes, one must do the things that cause the most pain in others for their own good."

"That's a big fat 'hell yes!'" Jayne piped up from a little way off, Graeme, AneiRenamon and herself approaching as a group, "Millimon, you were fantastic!"

The praise was eager and genuine, and the vampiress offered a simple respectful bow in response.

"So were you, Vrykolakasmon." Graeme added for the benefit of his own partner, "I wasn't expecting it to be _that _easy..."

The train of thought was broken by the sound of a loud explosion not too far away, seemingly just over the nearest rise of trees. The brief whine that had preceded it seemed to indicate a plane of some sort. From the sheer size of the explosion, it was most likely military.

"The battle isn't won yet." AneiRenamon warned.

Vrykolakasmon couldn't help but agree. He turned to regard the Digidestined, their digital companions mostly recovered and standing by their sides, "There is an army of Digimon in combat with the human military less than two miles from here. It sounds like the humans could use a little help."

The hint was blaringly obvious, even to Davis, who seized upon the opportunity with vigour.

He clenched the air in his fist, "We're on it!" And he took off apace, Veemon in tow behind him.

The other Digidestined were a little bit more reserved in their response, but not one of them held back, brave souls all.

"We'd better make sure he doesn't hurt himself..." Ken trailed off, leaning over to pick up Wormmon.

The entire group moved off towards the distant fight – Except for Gatomon, who hung back for a moment as her friends and companions went on. She stepped up to Vrykolakasmon, dwarfed in comparison to the human-sized Digimon before her. She was quiet in her approach, apparently quite respectful.

As the small, white feline beheld the vampire her eyes seemed to reach into his with question. For a moment she seemed about to ask that very question of him, but only silence fell from her lips before she closed them again.

A sly, knowing smirk crept into the corner of her mouth, twisting upwards to show her fangs, "This isn't over."

And she turned to follow Kari and the others.

Vrykolakasmon watched them hurry off into the distance, regarding Gatomon with curiosity until they were completely out of sight.

It was Millimon, hand moved to rest lightly on his arm, who shook him out of his revirie.

"She's right, isn't she?" her voice was soft and unassuming. It wasn't an assertion in any sense of the word so much as an acceptance. Something about the way Vrykolakasmon's eyes spoke to her told her with certainty that the little white cat was right.

At last, Vrykolakasmon sighed. His eyes closed and he seemed almost contemplative. Millimon could've sworn she felt the slightest whisper of something – not words, but more a sort of feeling – but it passed by without lingering.

"And not even in the way you think." Vrykolakasmon's eyes opened slowly, his breathing set at a calm, measured pace. He simply gazed into Millimon's eyes for a moment before offering a slight smile. "Graeme?" Only his head turned to face his Tamer, "Do you have a Biomerge card?"

The brown-haired boy didn't even have to look at his deck to find an answer, "No, why?"

"That is a shame." The reply was punctuated with a sigh, but it wasn't quite disappointment that Graeme could hear in the tone, "That would've helped a lot."

A black haze formed seemingly from nowhere in the air before them. It bore a striking likeness to thick, toxic clag, though it lacked anything in the way of a smell. It obscured a shadowy form from view, but it didn't take long for the three Digimon present to recognise the form as its edges became more distinct.

"He's here." AneiRenamon observed from her position just behind the human pair.

Vrykolakasmon kept his attention fully on the fog, but he nodded an acknowledgement, "He has been for some time."

Just when the mist seemed so thick that it may actually congeal, it fell away to the ground like a miniature pyroclastic flow, revealing the form of the Dark Lord himself.

"Oh fu-" Graeme began, silence instantly by Jayne plastering her hands firmly across his mouth.

"Don't even think about it, Mister." She warned him.

And then Darkdramon's eyes fell upon them.

* * *

The Typhoon turned sharply in the air, narrowly avoiding the directed energy blast launched by the reptilian monster which had given chase. The nimble aircraft evaded the attack with ease, though the pilot soon found himself face to face with one of his enemy's comrades. This time, the attack was point blank, the energetic onslaught slicing into the armour-plated fuselage of the aircraft. Several warnings were issued to the pilot in the form of various blaring klaxons. The damage was mostly superficial, though supersonic speeds were now out of the question – and the primary fuel line had come close to being severed.

One more attack on that quarter, and he'd have to bail.

But the enemy was everywhere! They attacked in their thousands, compared to the air force's twenty-four aircraft within the battle zone. The supposed dogfight was turning into a disorganised fracas.

And heaven only knew which way the fight was going to go. The enemy was taking casualties, and the fighter craft were taking heavy damage – though none had been forced to retreat just yet. It was highly likely that they'd simply run out of ammo before they could neutralise the threat.

The pilot turned his plane sharply away from the fight, trying to gain some altitude and swoop around to target the main body of reptilians. He also took the opportunity to open up the radio.

"Command, Delta Wing. Come in."

"_Delta Wing, this is Command. Relay, over."_

"Command," he spoke quickly and urgently, keeping his message short-hand, "Minimal impact. Delta casualties zero. Ammo stockpile low. Request further assistance, over."

The radio crackled out a vocal pause, time stretching out further still before the authoritative voice returned, _"Request acknowledged. Unit AT-alpha dispatched and en route – ETA, five minutes. Begin reload procedures. Over."_

"Copy. Out." And he closed the channel. It wasn't quite what he'd been hoping for – if memory served, Unit AT-alpha was a heavy artillery/tank garrison from the nearest city. Not particularly manoeuvrable, but perhaps enough to make this a two-fronted battle.

"I guess we'll just have to manage by ourselves until then..." gripping the joystick firmly, the pilot turned his plane around for a sweep over the enemy. He was going to make every shot count.

It wasn't difficult to pick out one of the fiendish beings from the massed throng. With a steadfast resolve his finger clasped the trigger, unleashing a hail of bullets.

There was an incredible flash of light, and the enemy simply evaporated into nothingness... Surely that couldn't have been caused by his weapons? Perhaps the artillery...

Another nearby monster exploded in much the same way, though this explosion held more of an orange tint.

"What the...?"

A rap on the glass of his cockpit caused the startled pilot to practically leap out of his pressure suit. Looking up through his breathing mask his eyes came to rest upon an unusual face – long-haired, eyes obscured by a helmet, feminine.

"Hi!" she smiled warmly, sounding strangely chirpy, "Need a hand with this infestation?"

The pilot was too stunned for words – though his face did go a remarkably pale shade of white.

"Hey, Angemon," she called over to the other side of the plane, where an apparently male angel stood casually against the cockpit's frame, "Have you ever seen a human go _that_ colour?"

Angemon offered a slight chuckle in response, though his arms crossed his chest in feigned impatience, "You do know we're supposed to be fighting the bad guys, not tormenting the air force, right?"

Angewomon rolled her eyes, despite her helmet, "Yes mother."

Her hand raised in the direction of the nearest reptilian Digimon, Angewomon allowed her left gauntlet to extend into the archer's bow of her primary special attack, drawing the energy arrow out of the energy around her and unleashing it with devastating accuracy.

The winged reptile did not last long.

"_Captain," _the fighter pilot's radio crackled to life with the voice of one of his comrades, _"You're not gonna believe this... There's some sort of blue dinosaur down here exterminatin' the monsters."_

As he watched the male angel take to the sky, fist glowing a fiery orange, words finally found him again, "That's nothing..." he replied, bewildered, "I'm seeing bloody angels."

"_What do we do?"_

What else was there to do?

"Help them."

His finger found the trigger.

* * *

Darkdramon regarded the five beings before him with utter contempt; two humans, his former lieutenants and the saboteur herself – each and every one an enemy to his cause.

"You do realise," he began with spite, "that there is no way for you to survive this. Even if you somehow escape me now, once I've taken over this miserable world I will spare no effort in tracking you down and destroying you all."

"Oh, save us the typical 'bad guy' spiel, will you?" the human girl glared back at him, daring to defy his will, "You're not as scary as you think you are."

"Oh?" he couldn't contain the chuckle, "Is that so?"

Jayne's glare only narrowed further, "You bet your shiny metal arse it is."

"Ha!" the monster threw his head back in a loud scoff, amused by the puny human animal, "I admire your tenacity, _human_. For one so _puny_ it is a surprising force of will."

"Puny?!" anger and outrage erupted in volatile quantities, "I'm gonna tear you a new one!" Jayne wielded her balled fist towards the giant metal monster, pacing forwards. It took AneiRenamon and Graeme grasping Jayne by a shoulder each to halt her advance.

"Is she crazy?" AneiRenamon puzzled as obscenities flowed freely from the lips of the girl in her clasp.

Graeme rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing loudly and offering a short nod, "As far as I can tell."

"Well," the Dark Lord mused, almost light-heartedly, "As much fun as this little chat is, shall we end this?"

There was no time for a response, his question punctuated with a potent ball of dark matter parting his lips like a thirty-two pound shot from a cannon. His trademark shot found a target in the form of Millimon, hitting her square in the abdomen. The impact was a sickening thud, knocking the wind from the vampiress and imparting enough momentum to knock her backwards, landing roughly on the ground.

Vrykolakasmon hadn't even had the time to react, though he didn't hesitate to move to Millimon's assistance.

Kneeling, he extended a hand to her – one which she eagerly took, the pair grasping one-another's forearms as he helped her into a more upright position.

"Are you OK?"

Millimon's breath was short, and it sounded quite painfully drawn, "I'll be ok..." she assured him between gasps, "Just winded."

Vrykolakasmon nodded, grateful of the news. He took a moment to look back at Darkdramon, offering the metal fiend a contemptible glare for daring to strike out at his friends in such a way.

"That is less than one tenth of my power." The pretence of humour no longer present in Darkdramon's tone or his expression – it was entirely business now, "Care to push me for the remaining ninety?"

"If I must." Vrykolakasmon replied, gently releasing Millimon's arm and rising to his feet. He turned to face his former master head-on, ready to issue the challenge, "Do _you _think you can take _me_?"

Darkdramon extended the blade on his right arm to full length, lifting it up and pointing it straight towards Vrykolakasmon, eyes focused along its length and beyond the tip. Neither of the combatants was particularly intimidated by the other, and Vrykolakasmon showed this by mirroring the gesture with his own weapon.

The challenge was made.

* * *

A red-faced private huffed and puffed as he crossed the full diameter of the garrison's barracks. The base was unusually large for a town of such size, but then that had been the tradition for as long as there's been a settlement there. There was no real strategic value – but convention stood for so much more in the military.

And it didn't help that General Richards's billet was located on the other side of the facility to the communications office. Nor did it help that he'd opted to leave his phone off the hook.

The khaki-clad soldier was completely out of breath by the time he'd reached the door, and he doubled over – hands on his knees for support – in order to catch his breath.

It only took a moment before he was pounding furiously at the general's door.

"General Richards, Sir!" his fist struck the door with enough ferocity to make the nearby windows creak, "Urgent message from HQ!"

Even as he thumped away at the door he could hear movement from inside the building – the scuffle of shoes against a polished wooden floor.

"Sir!" the private called again, ensuring he was heard – though the general would've had to be practically deaf to not hear him.

Eventually, though, the door did swing open – revealing the general standing in naught but a pink bath sheet around his waist and a hand towel around his head.

"Erm, general...?" the private didn't know quite what to make of it.

"This had better be important!" General Richards frowned, ignorant to the fact that he probably ought to be embarrassed.

"Yes... Yes Sir." The private hesitated, not sure what the protocol was for such a moment. Though he eventually figured he should probably deliver the message they'd received, "It's the air force. They've requested artillery backup."

He handed the general a sheet of paper, confirming the finer details. Being an expert skim-reader, Richards absorbed the facts in mere moments.

"Those blasted monsters again." He clenched his fist, crumpling the note. He looked at the private, "Spread the word, private. We roll out in five minutes!"

Before the young soldier could even agree to the order the door was slammed in his face. With a sigh, he turned on his heels and ran back to the communications centre.

* * *

Another explosion and one more monster ceased to be, a delta-wing fighter plane swooping through the fiery tendrils of the explosion, cutting a vortex as it went.

The pilot couldn't believe his luck. At first the battle had seemed hopeless. Though divine intervention seemed to have changed that!

Though the man was smart enough to realise there was more to it than that, he also realised that these beings were here to help – they were, after all, helping to eradicate the enemy.

He offered a salute to the male angel, whom he'd been following through the skies. Working together – pilot distracting the enemy just long enough for the angel to impart a little retribution – they'd managed to destroy at least a score. And the rest of his pilots, working in conjunction with what appeared to be a group of six 'good' monsters, had managed to inflict significant damage too.

"If they keep this up," Kari spoke to TK, the pair on the ground below, keeping a close eye on their friends as they risked their lives in mortal combat, "this'll all be over pretty soon."

"Yes..." TK nodded, though the tone in his voice was unconvincing.

Kari, holding his hand gently, offered up an affectionate squeeze, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." he replied, though the girl knew that wasn't the end of it – she knew him well enough by now, "But, you heard Gatomon. It isn't over."

Kari couldn't help but smile knowingly. She was Gatomon's partner – the only person in the world who'd spent more time with the snowy feline besides TK and Patamon – and she could read her friend like a book. If TK had picked up on what Gatomon had meant then it was a given she'd understood completely too.

"I know." Kari sighed, "But, you know, its just one of those things."

TK nodded, silent as if considering for a moment, "They're going to be fighting to the death."

Kari looked at him. There was no doubt in his voice, and none in those sweet blue eyes. It was a statement, not a question.

"I know." Kari replied at last. But when he looked down at her she was smiling, "But we have to trust that they can handle it. Graeme, Jayne, Millimon, Mikemon; we have to trust in _them._"

"But Darkdramon... He's..." Takeru was silenced with a small, careful finger.

Kari's smile had spread to her eyes, "They're Digidestined." She spoke softly, as if afraid to break the words through talking too loud, "Digidestined don't know how to fail."

She was right, of course. Kari was always right.

* * *

Vrykolakasmon fell to one knee, holding his staff above his head with both hands. There was a thunderous clatter as Darkdramon's sword heaved down upon it, and for the briefest of moments Vrykolakasmon was certain his only weapon would snap.

But it never came.

His staff held, though the Dark Lord still pressed home his advantage, pushing down with so much force that Vrykolakasmon wondered if the ground were going to swallow him.

"So, this is the strength of the infamous Vrykolakasmon?" Darkdramon, voice a tenor note of purest hate, rested his entire weight upon his blade, "I must say, I'm not impressed. You fight like a human child – slow and feeble."

"You should keep your words soft and sweet." Vrykolakasmon strained with all his might, "You never know when you may be forced to eat them!"

A forceful thrust with his knees provided just enough leverage to push away Darkdramon's monstrous blade. It afforded him enough time to twist the scythed staff in his hands and catch the demonic metal Digimon behind the knee. With Darkdramon's entire weight pressed into the assault he overbalanced, having to sidestep in order to avoid falling.

Vrykolakasmon sprang backwards, putting a little room between himself and his opponent.

Furious, Darkdramon withdrew his blade, opening his mouth in an apparent roar. The dark orb which formed within his gaping maw put lie to the fact, his signature Dark Roar attack aimed and fired with all the accuracy and speed of a spitting cobra.

Vrykolakasmon had just enough time to prepare, though his timing had to be perfect. A flick of his wrist saw his scythe curve through the air in front of him, the thick, finely edged blade slicing through the dark matter projectile with a terrible screech.

The error in his plan was evident the moment the blade withdrew on the follow-through stroke. The orb, dissected, carried along its course.

The impact was devastating, his chest taking the full force of the onslaught.

The wind was knocked from Vrykolakasmon's lungs. With a gasping wince, he fell once more to his knees, unwittingly letting his weapon fall away from his grip. This time, he was completely undefended – and unable to rise.

Darkdramon, an evil grin twisting on his lips, slowly extended his blade again, the sickening sound of metal scoring past metal sending shivers down Vrykolakasmon's spine.

"So," Darkdramon slowly, deliberately stepped over Vrykolakasmon, savouring his victory. He stopped short by all of five metres and gloated, "This is the _mighty _Vrykolakasmon. Defeated in mere minutes." He laughed at his own wit, "And I was expecting so much more from you."

Vrykolakasmon simply glared up at him, no breath yet to respond with.

Darkdramon paced the final distance between them, falling to one knee to be face to face with his opponent, "This is how it ends for you." He whispered.

"If I die..." Vrykolakasmon spoke through the pain, voice husky and strained, "I die for a cause... a cause I'm _willing_... to die for..."

Fury and wrath burned coolly in his eyes, unmistakable and unrelenting.

Darkdramon was utterly unphased, "You would die for these humans?"

"No..." Vrykolakasmon started to move, lifting himself unsteadily to his feet. He was unsteady. His footing was unstable, though improving with each breath. But he wasn't going to surrender on his knees, "I would die for _her._"

Darkdramon realised instantly the depths of his mistake; Vrykolakasmon was not looking at him – the vampire was looking _beyond_ him.

The giant scythe of his former leading lieutenant fell forcefully upon his armoured back. He knew well the true beauty of Millimon's attack. The more she willed it, the harder the blade became. The deadly blade cut through his armour as if it weren't even there.

Unfortunately, his scaled skin was an entirely different matter. The strength of the blow was painful – the pressure along the length of the blade had to be immense – but it did little real damage.

It served only to enrage Darkdramon.

His rage would not go unsatiated.

The Dark Lord turned with a roar, catching Millimon unaware with a vicious backhand. She was sent flying through the air with unimaginable force, her fall broken by the sturdy trunk of a nearby tree.

"Millimon!" Jayne cried out, running over from the safety of Graeme and AneiRenamon to where Millimon lay – though AneiRenamon gave chase.

Vrykolakasmon couldn't tell if the sound of impact had been the tree breaking, or Millimon's bones. He willed her up with every ounce of his being. But she didn't move.

"Well," Darkdramon looked from Millimon's motionless form to the only opponent he had left, "It seems _she_ died for _you._ How very noble."

"You monster." Vrykolakasmon hissed with a seething hatred beyond measure.

Darkdramon's expression changed from one of a gloating victor to that of a tyrannical, remorseless demon, "Yes, vampire. I _am_ a monster."

He loomed over Vrykolakasmon like a spectre, ready to deal out the eternal blow.

* * *

So, the final battle has begun. Let us see who wins, hm?

Thanks for reading.

NKC


	24. Chapter XXIV

**Chapter XXIV**

"_Is she still alive?" a distant phantasm of a voice echoed through the darkness._

_Shapes and strange shadows danced around the periphery of Millimon's vision, indistinct and taunting. This wasn't the place she remembered. Where was the grass? Where was the sky? Where were the _others_?_

"_Barely. She's hurt pretty badly."_

_What were those muffled voices? They sounded strangely familiar, but seemed slightly off somehow – off key, out of sync with reality. There was a strange comfort in them, but at the same time they caused her distress._

"_I don't think she's breathing! Does she have a pulse?"_

_They seemed to be fading away ever more into the background, leaving her in relative silence. She was aware of a slow, dull throbbing sensation resonating all around her, but that too seemed to be growing more distant and obscure. Even the tormenting shadows around her grew less well defined._

"_Shit! Jayne, we're losing her!"_

_Jayne? She knew that name..._

"_Hand me your D-Power, quick! I have to try something."_

_They finally disappeared into absolute still silence. She was left alone in the dark._

_

* * *

_

AneiRenamon pressed her ear to Millimon's chest. The vampiress' heartbeat was a slow, pained throb struggling to keep its rythm. And worse, it seemed to be slowing down even further.

"Shit!" AneiRenamon sat upright, pressing her digits urgently into Millimon's neck, just below her jaw-line, "Jayne, we're losing her!"

After a few barely-noticeable pulses, it stopped completely and panic began to well up.

"Hand me your D-Power, quick!" she held out her hand to Jayne with urgency, "I have to try something."

Jayne of course didn't hesitate for a second. She thrust the little device into AneiRenamon's paw – she really didn't want to see Millimon die. It wasn't even an outcome worth contemplating.

As she watched the fox tap away urgently at the device's little buttons she felt a wave of confusion, "What are you going to do?"

AneiRenamon didn't once look up from her task, seemingly searching for something within the functions of the D-Power, "I'm going to save her."

And in an instant it was there on the screen. A thumb-like white-furred digit hovered momentarily over the execute button. But the digital vixen turned her attention to Jayne now, holding out her free hand-paw to the human girl, "Take my hand."

Jayne was unsure, but they were rapidly running out of time. She complied.

"This is going to hurt." AneiRenamon warned, feeling the uncertain tremble in Jayne's hand. She lowered the D-Power towards Millimon's abdomen, holding it back face down against the vampiress.

"How much?" Jayne asked nervously.

AneiRenamon braced herself, "A lot." And pressed the button,

Fifty thousand agonising volts passed through the duo, straight into the lifeless vampiress.

* * *

_Millimon stood silently, simply waiting for something to happen. She didn't know where this place was, and it didn't seem that was about to change any time soon – was she simply dreaming? This certainly didn't feel like reality. Well, not the reality she was used to, anyway._

_For a fleeting moment she thought she became aware of something behind her. She turned to look, twisting her torso but keeping her feet firmly planted. There was nothing there – simple darkness running off into the distance, ad infinitum. But then it hadn't been tangible... It felt more like an awareness, popping into and out of existence in an instant._

"_What is this place?" she verbalised her thoughts, glad at least to hear some sort of sound._

"_This is no place." A female voice, wholly unexpected, offered from the darkness before her._

_Millimon didn't flinch or recoil in surprise – that wasn't her nature. But she did ponder the voice's origin. Squinting into the darkness she tried to see who the disembodied words may have belonged to, "Who are you?" she asked when nothing came to her._

_As she watched the empty space before her an ethereal sprinkle of light seemed to flow from nowhere, dancing a little way in front of her like dust on a moonbeam. There was no breeze to speak of, but the dimly glowing cloud seemed to churn and warp, taking an approximately human shape._

_A face formed slowly from the individual specks of light, a body-form taking shape in the darkness. Silvery eyes looked back at the vampiress, raven hair of considerable length flowing freely around this being's silhouette. There was a torso, but nothing formed below the waist._

"_You're human." Millimon observed._

"_Yes." The newcomer nodded with a gentle smile, "My name is Kyna."_

_Millimon looked at her for a moment, opting in the end to offer a slight bow as a form of greeting, "My name is-"_

"_Millimon." This Kyna finished her sentence, "The vampiress."_

_Millimon cocked an eyebrow at the apparition, offering an intrigued glance. There were several questions which formed in her mind – What was this apparently human girl? How did she get here? What did she mean? In the end she opted for something simple._

"_Where am I?"_

_Kyna gave a smirk, "Somewhere between reality and the other world."_

"_Some kind of limbo?"_

"_Some kind..."_

_There was an empty silence as Millimon considered, Kyna's eyes seemingly evaluating her every thought, as if the girl could see straight through her._

_Millimon was the one to break the self-imposed silence with another simple question, "_What_ are you?"_

_Kyna chuckled, shaking her head softly, reminiscing fondly of moments past, "I _was _human. Now... Now I am a being between worlds."_

_Millimon wasn't truly following any of this – it just didn't seem designed to make sense. She had no precedent for this current situation, no experience to draw upon in order to resolve her thoughts, her suspicions and her concerns. All in all, it left her in a state of confusion._

_When the girl Kyna stepped forth from the eerie light her body became whole, Millimon blinking in genuine surprise. But still, she felt no fear – she didn't even feel that she should. The girl hadn't threatened her with harm._

"_Millimon," Kyna stepped in close, looking upon the vampiress with a fondness typically reserved for a close friend. A hand found its way to rest lightly on Millimon's shoulder, "You should not be here. It is not your time to be here. Not yet."_

"_I'm not entirely sure I understand where _here _is..." she admitted to Kyna._

_The human girl mused quietly, "You will. Eventually."_

_Millimon could only hope that this would make sense at some point._

"_You must go back."_

"_I wish I knew how..."_

_Kyna sighed sadly, looking down to the ground – or were the ground would have been, were it not stooped in shadows – and taking a moment, "It's nice to have guests every once in a while." She looked back up at Millimon. Something in her eyes made her appear older, almost as if she'd lived through an eternity, "Tell Graeme I say hello."_

"_How do you-"_

_Kyna's free hand touched Millimon's other shoulder. Fifty thousand agonising volts of electricity passed into her. She didn't scream, though the agony enticed it. But the world went dark once more._

_

* * *

_

Graeme watched with horror as Darkdramon towered ominously over Vrykolakasmon. He couldn't hear their exchange, but when he saw the self-proclaimed Dark Lord tense his powerful arms and reach for Vrykolakasmon's head with both of his massive clawed hands, he knew that he had to do something.

"Think, boy, think!" Graeme urged himself on. _You're a Tamer now... So help him! _The little voice in his head added with vigour.

His brain raced for a solution. Darkdramon was far too strong to fight with sheer force, so they'd have to use their brains – out think and out manoeuvre him.

"Darkdramon..." Graeme thought aloud, trying to remember anything of use, "Virus type, Dark Area and Machine Empire families..." he could recall the card quite clearly. But what to do about it?

As a young teen, back when Digimon had been the great fad that he remembered, he'd been part of a group of a couple dozen kids at his school who'd organised their own little card tournaments. It had been just one of those passing time-fillers that came and went with the turning of the seasons. And, if he were truly honest with himself, he'd never been particularly good at it. Sure, he'd won his fair share of the fights. But he'd lost plenty too.

By his own calculations he'd been a steady average in both ability and success.

But that was a card game. This was a matter of life and death – not just for the combatants, but possibly the whole world! Realisation dawned on Graeme; if Darkdramon were to win this fight, who remained to stop him?

From nowhere, a memory surfaced. It was a card battle from all those years ago, one he'd managed to win, if only just.

* * *

"_Ha!" Graeme's opponent jeered, slapping down a Digivolution card, "Tankdramon digivolves to Darkdramon!"_

_Graeme swallowed down his rising panic. The mega-level monster, Darkdramon, currently faced off against his ultimate level DoruGreymon – a member of the Beast Dragon family, and a data type to boot, making it weak against the virus. Versus the dual natured mega he held no strengths or weaknesses, meaning that it was a raw power against power fight. No ultimate could beat a mega like that._

"_Your turn." The boy before Graeme leaned back in his chair, folding his arms and adorning a smug expression._

_Swallowing hard, Graeme searched the few cards in his deck. He had nothing of use – no higher digivolutions in his current hand. But he did have a hold card, which would force his opponent to skip a turn. It'd give Graeme the perfect opportunity to get more cards into his hand – two more to be exact. He just had to hope his deck held more promise than his hand._

_It was his only choice._

"_Hold."_ _He declared._

_The boy opposite laughed mockingly, "Delay tactics. You think time is on your side?"_

_Graeme didn't reply, instead browsing through the remainder of his available deck. There had to be something..._

_MetalGreymon, Alphamon, Harpymon, digivolve card, Vulcan's hammer, metal defence, Grademon..._

_Wait, that was it! Grademon was the key!_

"Still _your move." Graeme's opponent grew impatient._

_But Graeme smirked back, "Grademon, DNA Digivolve to Alphamon."_

_A Virus Buster._

_The battle was over._

_

* * *

_

Alphamon! That was it!

With renewed fervour Graeme sped through his card-holder, searching for that one elusive card... And there it was.

He didn't hesitate to pluck it out, one hand shooting to his D-Power and pulling it free of his belt.

"Hey, Darkdramon!" he bellowed, getting the metallic monster's attention – though he didn't release Vrykolakasmon's skull from his vice-like grip, "Try this on for size!"

The card passed through the reader.

But even Graeme didn't see the strange blue-gold glint to the back of the card, nor the message on the screen as it passed through the reader.

"_Biomerge Activate..."_

* * *

The pain faded away after a momentary eternity, and Jayne allowed herself to relax, muscles she never even knew she had aching from the tension she'd just piled upon them.

"Ow..." she exhaled slowly, twisting her neck to try and work out the kink. She heard a deep click and felt better for it. Her attention turned to AneiRenamon, "What the hell was that?"

The black and white fox herself looked a little bit woozy, deep breaths drawn to help her recover, "Data."

AneiRenamon released Jayne's hand, allowing the girl to take the D-Power from her hand. She leaned in close to Millimon, pressing an ear to her chest and listening closely – there was the faint sound of a dull thud.

"Yargh!" she jerked suddenly, clasping her hands together and bringing them down with brute force against Millimon's chest.

Jayne jumped a mile, taken off guard. But this moment passed, and they both waited, watching closely.

Millimon's eyes shot wide open, and she was bolt-upright in an instant, drawing a raspy breath as she did so. She immediately winced, exhaling sharply and trying to steady herself as she gathered her senses. AneiRenamon moved around behind her to act as a backrest.

A momentary spell of nausea and dizziness swept through Millimon like a bitter wind, causing her to visibly shiver. Swallowing hard subdued the sensation and brought her back to rest.

"Are you OK?" Jayne shuffled closer.

Millimon looked around slowly, as if considering, "...Yes." she nodded slowly, "I'm fine. What...?"

"You were pretty badly hurt." Jayne explained, though smiling softly, "We thought we'd lost you."

"You were dead for a moment or two." AneiRenamon informed her gently from behind, still offering support, "We managed to revive you."

"That would explain the vision."

"Vision?" Jayne's curiosity was piqued.

"I'll explain later." Millimon offered, noting that Darkdramon and Vrykolakasmon were still engaged in battle. Well, it looked more like they were talking. At least until Darkdramon took Vrykolakasmon's head into his claws.

Her eyes went wide. She had to do something! But when she tried to move she found no strength in her legs.

"Hold on." AneiRenamon restrained her by the shoulders, "You're in no condition to fight right now."

Millimon looked back, a mixture of anger and anguish in her expression, "I cannot simply sit here and let Darkdramon destroy Vrykolakasmon."

"Graeme will handle it." AneiRenamon nodded towards the fight. When Millimon followed her gaze she could already see the tamer drawing his deck of cards.

"We have to do something." Millimon insisted nonetheless.

It was her own tamer, Jayne, who replied with a grin. One of her hands clasped the staff of Millimon's fallen scythe as it lay idle by her side, "Allow me."

Before Millimon or AneiRenamon could protest the human girl held it confidently in both of her hands. For such a large, asymmetrical weapon it was surprisingly light and evenly balanced.

Her grip tensed around it firmly, fingers constricting like a viper around the staff as her eyes fell upon her target. An angered, bitter rage welled up inside her and she did little to restrain it. Lifting the scythe high above her head, she ran at Darkdramon.

"Bastard!" she cried at the top of her lungs, charging at him from behind. She swung the weapon with all her might as she approached, bringing the long, curved blade down upon his back with remarkable force.

"She may be a human," Millimon mused to AneiRenamon, both of them watching Jayne's actions with curiosity, "But she has all the will and tenacity of a mega level Digimon."

Spurred on by such determination, the blade struck true and hard, cutting a deep slice through Darkdramon's armour and plunging solidly into his flank, a pained cry of shock and surprise roaring free of his reptilian lips.

Jayne pulled the blade free, stepping back a few feet and holding her ground, blade poised for another attack as her enemy lumbered around to face her.

Darkdramon's eyes showed fierce anger and contempt, "You vile human brat!" his glare intense enough to melt wrought iron, "How dare you! I am the Dark Lord of the Digital Realm!"

Jayne shifter her weight slightly, staring him down all the while, "I _don't_ give a damn if you're the lord of all creation!" she withheld no spite, "_Nobody_ treats my friends that way!"

The snarl on Darkdramon's lips curled up to bear teeth, a low growl rumbling in his throat, "I will kill you for your insolence."

"You wouldn't be the first to try today." Jayne shirked off the supposed threat.

As Darkdramon's growl turned into an out-and-out roar, Jayne could feel the static forming in the air between them. She was smart enough to realise that this meant he was getting ready to attack – Darkdramon could see the recognition in her eyes – but, quite surprisingly, she made no move to evade him.

She was a cocky little brat.

The tap on his shoulder quickly distracted him from Jayne, however. And as he turned around to look, a large pair of human-looking hands - armour-clad and very strong – grasped his muzzle and held it tightly shut.

Angered brown eyes locked onto the Dark Lord's own, piercing his soul, as if reading his thoughts.

"You should treat the lady with a little more respect." A two-toned voice spoke calmly and plainly.

Jayne, watching the scene from her vantage point, blinked a couple of times as she realised just who the voice belonged to. "Graeme?"

The large metallic knight looked down at her, not for a moment loosening the grip he held on Darkdramon. He used no words, but he nodded in acknowledgement.

There was something very familiar to her in those eyes. And, for some reason or another, Jayne felt the compulsion to step away from the battle scene. Opting to comply with it, she returned the nod before turning back to Millimon and AneiRenamon.

Once she was safely out of harm's way the large knight released his hold on Darkdramon, the latter stepping back a few paces and offering up an icy glare.

"Alphamon." He hissed, recognising the Digimon immediately.

"Darkdramon." Was the blunt reply.

Darkdramon swung a punch.

* * *

Jayne dropped Millimon's scythe by vampiress' side, kneeling down in front of her partner. She was looking much better than before. There was more colour to her face – well, as much as could be expected for the cream pallor skin of a vampire.

"How're you feeling?" she enquired.

Looking back to AneiRenamon – whom she still leaned against – the pair exchanged a glance. The vulpine of the pair offered a brief nod of consent before rising to her feet. She offered a hand to Millimon, who gladly accepted and uneasily rose to her feet.

A moment of uncertain swaying passed as she gathered herself.

"I'm well."

Jayne, watching all the while from her kneeled position, took hold of Millimon's scythe, climbed to her feet and offered a smirk before handing it over.

"I see Graeme and Vrykolakasmon biomerged." AneiRenamon interrupted, engrossed in the standoff a little way away.

Jayne followed the direction of her gaze, "So that _is _Graeme in there." She marvelled, "How did he do that?"

"A blue card..." Millimon voiced her thoughts.

Jayne had no idea what Millimon meant, but a thought did occur to her, "Can we do that too?"

"I don't see why not." Millimon mused, "But we'd need the blue card."

"Ah," AneiRenamon interrupted, the other two shooting her a questioning glance, "I may be able to help you there. Hang on."

Before either of them could question her she'd vanished into thin air.

Jayne rolled her eyes, "I hate when she does that..."

* * *

AneiRenamon rematerialised on the other side of the battle, not far from where Graeme had been the last time he'd been an individual. Sure enough, there was his card deck – the same one she'd fetched for him earlier.

The Alphamon card he'd clearly used before lay outside of the pack, but there was no sign of his D-Power. No doubt it was wherever in the ether he was.

But none of that mattered.

AneiRenamon was only a rookie, but she had an old soul – at least insofar as the digital realm was concerned. And it was fair to say that she was well versed in the digivolution trees of many species of Digimon.

She just had to hope that her suspicions were correct, and that Graeme actually had the card.

"Matamon, Millimon, Upyrmon..." she was looking for the ancient, graceful human-demon being of legend.

When she saw the yellow eyes and grey pallor in the image, she knew she'd found it.

Flipping it over in her hand, she double-checked... the blue hue unmistakable.

She was careful to put the deck down - sturdy as they were she didn't want to damage the cards. She was even more careful with the one in her hand; it was the key they needed.

She vanished into her own shadow, reappearing in front of Millimon and Jayne.

"Do you have your D-Power?" she asked before they could question her.

Jayne reached down to her waist, removing the device from her beltline and holding it out to AneiRenamon, "Sure, why?"

The vulpine offered Jayne the card, looking from her to Millimon, "Swipe this. And be prepared for the trip of a lifetime."

Jayne took the card from her, looking over the details of the Digimon on the front, "Upyrmon?" she read out its name, "What will this do?"

Both AneiRenamon and Millimon looked over at Alphamon. Jayne didn't have to be a genius to figure out what they meant.

"Oh."

Without hesitation she pulled the card through the reader.

And her world exploded into light.

* * *

So much of the plot to get back up to speed, I can only hope that it worked. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading.

NKC


	25. Chapter XXV

**Chapter XXV**

Angemon circled around in the wake of one of the fighter jets, matching it move for move. He was surprised at how manoeuvrable they were proving to be, but then these were some of the best pilots in the world behind the stick of some of the most advanced planes.

And, even though they were in the middle of a battle, putting their skills to the test was proving to be fun.

He was pulled back to reality by the sound of the jet's guns unleashing their full volley. Not one to be outdone, Angemon sped up, swooping lower to increase his speed further and passing beneath the belly of the aircraft. The plane's target had been a cluster of the winged reptiles, each one firing randomly in whichever direction they were facing.

One shot hit a glancing blow across the belly of one of the other fighters, but the plane simply took it and carried on shooting.

Angemon's eyes picked out one of the beings, his fist beginning to glow with energy before he even threw the punch. But the creature erupted into bits before he could complete the move, an over-sized arrow of energy tearing through it with ease.

Angemon rolled his eyes, the sound of Angewomon chuckling behind him betraying the source of the attack.

"That one was mine." He complained to her without looking back.

He didn't even have to look to know that she was sticking out her tongue – and she didn't have to see to know that he was wearing a huge grin.

"Sure didn't look like it from here..." Angewomon teased, "Besides, there's plenty more to choose from."

With the twist of one pair of wings, Angemon was able to turn mid-flight so that he was facing her, now flying backwards, "Not if you keep this up!" He feigned disappointment.

Her smile – sweet symphony to his eyes – broadened, mischief no doubt glittering in her eyes as it so often did. But, for some reason or other, her smile melted into an expression of startled surprise.

It wasn't until she put words to her expression that he understood what was happening.

"Angemon, behind you!"

His reactions were quick by anyone's standards. But high-speed manoeuvring wasn't a reflexive thing even to somebody as well practiced as an angel. As he turned to face forwards, there was one of the targets he'd been aiming for streaking straight towards him, teeth bared, primal rage in its eyes.

Angemon pulled back his fist in desperation, hoping to get at least one defensive shot off before the beast could strike him in its own onslaught.

But just as the impact seemed inevitable, the being erupted into bits of data, ceasing to be in a fraction of an instant.

"What the...?" Angemon turned back to Angewomon, wondering if maybe she'd been quick enough to react before he had. The look of amusement on her face was enough to tell him that she hadn't, and it took him a moment or two more to cotton on that she was looking down to the ground.

"Well, I'll be damned..." the words wormed free from her lips, curling into a grin.

There on the ground, barrel aimed high up at them, was a tank – the head of an entire unit, which followed in close succession. And there, atop the tank, was Major General Richards.

* * *

It was the strangest sensation, and Jayne found herself unable to describe it. She simply stood there, surrounded by a bubble of intense light and energy that left her feeling warm and tingly. It felt incredibly right just being there, but where was there exactly?

"_We're joined." _A voice came from all around her, echoing lightly in the vast confines of the bubble.

Jayne blinked, surprised to hear another voice. Moments later a second thought occurred to her, "Millimon, is that you?"

"_Yes."_ The reply was simple and short.

"What's-"

But Millimon interrupted her, _"We're united in the form of Upyrmon."_

"'United in the form of-'" Jayne repeated, frowning in question, "What's going on?"

Millimon's sigh echoed around her, through her, and passed through the space in between. It was the strangest of sensations, _"It would take too long to explain, and we have a fight to-"_

"Hey!" Jayne declared, stopping Millimon's words dead, "I'm naked!"

* * *

Darkdramon, an angered snarl crossing his lips, spun on his heel and whipped his tail around from behind him in the hopes of knocking Alphamon off his feet. But the Holy Knight Digimon, a sly grin hidden behind his helmet, drew clear of the flailing limb with a simple, graceful leap. So far he was employing very little effort in the fight – but he hadn't gone on the offensive yet, either.

"Mikemon," Graeme spoke up impatiently from somewhere inside the grand duo, "What are you doing?"

He couldn't see his partner's face as their current combined form, but wherever Mikemon was, the huge grin plastered across his face was unmistakable, _"I'm enjoying myself!"_

"I really think we ought to be fighting back." Graeme sighed in protest, "Don't you?"

Mikemon's sigh was unmistakable, _"Alright,"_ his tone contained dejection, _"If we must..."_

Stepping back away from Darkdramon, Alphamon removed himself from striking distance. The Dark Lord, weapon poised for the strike, drew back in surprise, wielding the arm-blade across his own chest in a defensive posture.

His eyes seemed to press for an answer from his apparently withdrawn opponent.

"Fight me, you coward!" Darkdramon roared, "Fight me or die!"

The words fell upon deaf ears, the two beings making Alphamon a whole both in deep concentration. The finer points of their surroundings faded into the background as the energy summoned forth collated and took form in the steady grip of Alphamon's balled fists – a sword; the mythological weapon of the legendary being – the Seiken Grade-Alpha.

* * *

General Richards descended from the turret of his tank with practiced ease. His battalion, currently joining the air force in the leisurely extermination of the last few remnants of the demonic army, had arrived just in time to join the party.

The few creatures which remained wouldn't require his direct supervision for their demise, so he'd opted to step outside for a bit of fresh air – only to be greeted by a pair of angels.

Casually leaning against the tread of his tank, General Richards reached into his pocket and removed a cigar.

"If the fat lady is about to sing on my behalf," he spoke quite evenly, lifting the smoke to his lips and frisking himself for a light, "I do hope she'll at least grant me this final pleasure."

The angelic due landed with surprising delicacy, Major General Richards finally looking up to take them in entirely. One of them – the male – hung back slightly, appearing somewhat reserved. But the closer of the two – quite resoundingly female, unless his eyes were playing tricks on him – wore a definite grin upon her lips.

"Those things are bad for you." She spoke to him in playful banter, "They'll kill you, you know."

Giving up all hope of finding a light, Richards removed the cigar from his lips to speak to the lady, "My dear," he retorted, "in my line of work taking the ill-trodden path to the lavvy could well prove explosively fatal. Now if I am to meet my maker," the cigar was at once back between his lips, "I should hope that even a vision such as yourself should allow me this one brief penance."

Angewomon couldn't suppress a chuckle, "You needn't worry, General. I'm not here for your soul. But I will have your cigar." Before he could respond she'd snatched the lengthy item from his lips and had it well and truly crushed beneath her heel.

Richards couldn't quite believe his eyes – that somebody would be quite so brazen towards his little luxuries defied belief.

"You, madam, are treading a fine line."

"Well," Angewomon feigned a sigh, "I guess that's just what we cats do."

There was a moment of silence during which the General simply blinked. To be truly honest Angewomon wasn't expecting him to understand her implied meaning first off – after all, who expected a small, white feline to turn into an angel? But, to the General's credit, he wasn't as slow as she'd been expecting either.

"By Jove, it's you!" the mirth in his voice was unmistakable, "I thought there was something familiar about you!"

"What gave it away?"

"Something in the eyes..."

Angewomon frowned.

* * *

The mighty clang of steel against steel erupted like thunder as two sharpened blades came to blows. The force was unimaginable – enough to slice and dice a building, had one been the target. But for Darkdramon and Alphamon it was simply the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.

Ultimately, one of them would have to give.

"You cannot hope to beat me one-on-one," Darkdramon snarled through gritted teeth, whole body straining, enormous metallic talons carving deep grooves into the ground underfoot as he vied for the upper hand, "Give up now while you still can."

Alphamon pushed forwards in defiance of his opponent, closing the gap until only their swords separated them, "I don't think that's very likely, do you?" the combined voices of Graeme and Mikemon mused almost mockingly.

Darkdramon's expression took on an even more sinister air than Alphamon had ever thought possible, "One way or another, I _will_ win out over you."

Alphamon didn't have time to think up a reply before he felt Darkdramon's opposition waver. Far too quickly the Dark Lord pulled back, not giving Alphamon the opportunity to regain his balance, the result being the off-balance Holy Knight stumbling forwards – just as Darkdramon wanted.

The Dark Lord promptly grasped Alphamon by the throat with the strong claw of his left hand, allowing their combined momentum to swing him around and wrench Alphamon's right arm tight behind his back with his free hand. An agonising crack and a pained yelp from Alphamon revealed that at least one of the bones in his wrist had snapped, forcing him to drop the Seiken Grade-Alpha.

With the weapon now dropped and out of reach, Darkdramon pulled Alphamon back towards his chest, releasing the now useless limb from his grasp. Keeping the Holy Knight off balance Darkdramon dug his claws into Alphamon's throat – not quite enough to choke him, but sufficient to make his presence known.

Allowing his blade to extend slowly, Darkdramon pressed the sharp tip between two sections of armour on Alphamon's lower back. Were he to release the grip around Alphamon's neck at that moment, the off-balance knight would find himself impaled, helpless and with grim finality.

"You may have the strength." Darkdramon growled low and dangerous into the side of Alphamon's helmet, "But I have the experience." He pressed the blade forwards enough to prove his point.

Alphamon, resisting the pain of his fractured wrist and the pressure of the serrated blade at his back, managed to reply without sign of intimidation, "You think you've won?"

Darkdramon's laugh was as loud as it was arrogant, "Of course I have, my mongrel friend. There's no way you can escape me now."

But it was Alphamon who laughed now – a maniacal rapture thoroughly unexpected.

"Oh, you fool..." he replied once he'd caught himself again, "You don't see it, do you?"

Angered, Darkdramon applied more pressure to both Alphamon's neck and – through his sword – the gap in his armour, "See what?" he hissed.

Alphamon became at one completely serious, whispering through the renewed agony, "You've forgotten something."

"And what is that?"

"Me." A feminine voice, flat and emotionless spoke up from behind him.

And Darkdramon's world erupted into a supernova of agony.

* * *

AneiRenamon had felt the briefest moment of concern as Darkdramon seemed to gain the upper hand over Alphamon. It was a strangely out of place sensation, as she knew perfectly well there was nothing she could do about it. But still, despite all reason, it remained.

Perhaps if she were to try and help Alphamon it would vanish from her mind. But then again, AneiRenamon knew she'd be little more than a momentary distraction to the Dark Lord – a moment just long enough to blast her data into the great infinity.

Then the thought of the biomerged mega by her side surfaced, and she turned in haste, "Upyrmon!" she turned to face the powerful chimera who had been by her side, "We need to-"

But she was gone – though the definite energies of a mega using a phasing technique lingered in the spot where she'd been. AneiRenamon would recognise the sensation anywhere.

And if she was correct, she knew just where Upyrmon was.

A movement off in the distance, however, caught her eye. Lifting a paw to her brow and wincing she managed to discern a couple of figures. They appeared relatively human – or they would have, were they not currently airborne. It could only be the angel duo that belonged to the Digidestined of light and hope.

AneiRenamon didn't have time to ponder as a sickening scream jerked her attention back to the fight.

* * *

As far as Upyrmon was concerned – both Millimon and Jayne in total agreement – non-interference had not been an option. Of course, that then begged the question of what could be done about it.

Darkdramon's arrogant strength was his weakness, manifesting itself as he held Alphamon by the throat in the form of gloating. He couldn't simply kill Alphamon, not without taking the time to drive the point home and try to pry submission from his foe.

All of this was simply buying Upyrmon time.

Her eyes, delicate amethyst windows probing into the deep recesses of a swift, calculating mind, came to rest upon Alphamon's fallen blade, cast casually aside as it was behind the duelling titans.

That was the key.

With little more than a casual thought, the folds of reality warped around her very being and lifted her out of existence. Invisible to all, Upyrmon made little work of reaching the sword, the grand weapon proving to be unexpectedly light and well balanced just forwards of the hilt. Indeed, it handled in much the same way as Millimon's scythe, perfect for the long, agile necessity of a blade to blade fight.

But her intent for it was somewhat different to that of its design.

Standing currently beside the duelling pair, Upyrmon allowed her mind to reach out back into the realms of reality, hoping to touch Alphamon and let him know that he wasn't fighting alone. She wasn't sure if it worked at first, but she didn't have the time to wait and see.

Gripping the blade firmly, she found her way around behind Darkdramon. He had no idea that she was there, of course, even as she allowed the veil of energies surrounding herself to fall away and bring her back into the world proper.

Now she could hear their conversation.

She could hear Alphamon's voice, low and threatening despite his current predicament.

"You've forgotten something." He whispered to his opponent, apparently unafraid.

The Dark Lord, of course, was left feeling confusion. "And what is that?"

Drawing the sword back behind her head, Upyrmon declared herself, "Me."

And her blade plunged deep into the back of Darkdramon like a hot knife through butter.

* * *

The entire world erupted into a searing agony unlike anything Darkdramon had ever felt before. The edges of his vision faded to darkness, focus tunnelling to a fine point. His body felt instantly flushed with heat and as cold as dead stone. For a moment he felt as if he would succumb to the darkness washing over him.

He could feel every imperfect detail of the sharpened blade as it passed through living tissue, ripping through flesh, muscle and bone as if they were tissue paper, every millimetre an unfathomable agony.

But as quickly as it came, the feeling vanished, leaving behind a less intense but equally noticeable pain. Darkdramon came to realise in that moment that his wound, sword-filled anguish that it was, would not prove fatal.

With a will as cold as the steel with which he'd been stabbed, Darkdramon pushed the pain from his mind.

Slowly, a grin crossed his lips, a dark laugh of menace following shortly after.

* * *

Upyrmon felt great satisfaction as the blade pressed deep and true, skewering the Dark Lord like so much kebab meat. The painful yelp which parted his lips – a sign of weakness at the same time both daunting and gratifying – sounded out a testament to the force she'd put into the attack.

But no sooner had she released the blade, noting as the Dark Lord seemed to sway unsteadily for a moment or two, than the true futility of the attack revealed itself. A feeling of dread she'd not known existed welled up in the pit of her stomach as a cruel grin twisted on Darkdramon's lips. It soon erupted into a laugh, malice dripping from every reverberation.

The sound was so unexpected – so terrifying – that Upyrmon couldn't stop herself from recoiling slightly, putting the vast draconic being out of her arms' reach.

This wasn't right... It couldn't possibly be.

How was he still standing?!

----

AneiRenamon watched with utter disbelief as the Dark Lord – impaled to a point that would have decimated, if not outright destroyed a lesser being – reached around behind his back, wrapped his nightmarish claws around the hilt of the weapon and pulled it back.

A terrifying sound much like steel being wrought against steel filled the air, causing AneiRenamon to whimper instinctively and shield her ears - she honestly couldn't tell if the sickening noise had come from the blade scraping bone or if it was the pained cries of Darkdramon himself.

Pulling it completely free, he held the blade suspended, inspecting it closely as if sizing it up. For a moment it seemed that he'd almost forgotten about Alphamon and Upyrmon.

AneiRenamon felt sick to her stomach. She'd seen this before.

"Not good..." she whimpered, snapping her head sharply to the side – looking once more in the direction of the advancing angels. There was no way they'd make it to this fight in time.

"Unless-"

She didn't even give herself the time to complete the thought before vanishing into the ether.

* * *

Angewomon moved as fast as her wings would carry her. Her breath was shallow and rushed, every muscle in her body begging for relief from this torturous pace.

Angemon, of course, was right by her side – and clearly suffering for it.

"Do you see them?" he asked between desperate pants of breath.

"No." Angewomon snapped a response through gritted teeth. She knew the instant the words parted her lips that the tone in her voice had sounded short and sharp. But Angemon knew her well enough to not take it personally – she was simply anxious.

Rather than trying to continue the discussion, Angemon focussed all of his attention on seeking out Graeme and Jayne. They ought to have been where the Digidestined had left them. It was still a little way off, of course, but any fight ought to have been visible by now.

A gargantuan cry of agony roared passed the two angelic Digimon, startling Angemon from his thoughts and almost causing him to fall from the sky.

"What the fu-"

"There!" Angewomon interrupted him, pointing straight ahead, "There they are!"

Angemon followed her line of sight, noting with grim satisfaction the three mega level Digimon locked in mortal combat. The only reason that this was good news to him was the simple fact that the smaller of the trio of Digimon – a female vampire of some description – had clearly just impaled Darkdramon with some sort of sword.

"I think we're winning..." He whispered to nobody in particular.

But to his instant dismay, Darkdramon simply withdrew the blade for inspection. His movements seemed far less pained than they ought, and Angemon began to feel something much akin to helplessness.

"We're too far out of range..." Angewomon's quietly mournful voice drifted over from his side, realising Angemon's own thoughts perfectly.

A brief crackle of energy suddenly filled the air between the two angelic Digimon, startling both into stopping mid flight.

"What the hell?!" Angemon cursed as he strained his wings and drew into a hover. For an instant he thought it was perhaps some sort of attack. But when the air suddenly shimmered and a farmilliar vulpine form emerged he knew exactly what was going on.

AneiRenamon emerged in mid air, highly out of place and seemingly quite startled.

For what seemed like a comical moment the dark fox simply hovered there, her mind pulling the final essence of her being back into reality. She had just enough time to glance from Angemon to Angewomon before gravity took hold.

"Aw crap...." she voiced, and then fell from the sky.

Angemon simply blinked in disbelief. But Angewomon, with all the added reflexes of an ultimate level Digimon, reacted quickly, spilling a little air and grasping AneiRenamon by a paw.

"I've got you!"

The position looked rather painful for AneiRenamon, so Angemon quickly swung around and grasped her by the waist, easily supporting her, taking the weight off AneiRenamon's wrist.

But for some reason the dark fox didn't let go of Angewomon.

"No time to explain," she spoke urgently, "Come with me!"

Before either of the angels could object AneiRenamon had pulled them both into the void.

Angewomon felt a momentary sensation of panic erupt like a volcano. But she was quickly able to work out what was going on, and intrigue soon too over. The realm of reality had been folded around them, and where once solid objects had been there was now a fluid silhouette and an eerie aura – the only things that seemed to retain some solidity were her companions.

But the world around her was fascinating – a swirl of colours, energies flowing into and out of objects. Calm cool shades and vibrant radiances seemed scattered here and there in every direction. There was a definite pattern to it all, she soon realised. The quiet, dark shades seemed to be the inanimate objects – rocks, soil, earth. But the colour; the bright, vital, dancing colours were life itself. And it was everywhere! Trees, grass, birds, animals – all of it a bright light.

"What's going on?" a voice asked, ghostly and disjointed. It took a few moments for Angewomon to recognise it as her own.

The entire world seemed to rush past, a mere phantom of reality. The foreground switched to a trio of familiar outlines, each one a vibrant aura of life – Upyrmon, Alphamon and Darkdramon – locked in battle, yet seemingly frozen in time.

"Why aren't they moving?" her eerie disjointed voice questioned again.

AneiRenamon, the soul reason they were there at all, seemed to be deep in concentration. But a moment or two allowed her to offer a brief explanation.

"This is the void. Time doesn't touch us here."

"This is how you teleport..." Angewomon realised; moving from one place to another by removing herself from time.

It was Angemon who asked the next question, an expression of confusion barely hidden by his helmet, "What's going on here?" he was clearly looking straight at the duelling trio.

"Its a fight." Angewomon explained, surprised that it wasn't blatantly obvious to him.

Angemon shook his head, "No, what I mean is, why are they so much brighter than everything else?"

Angewomon blinked for a moment, looking back towards the three megas. Vibrant light shone brightly from each of them like a bright nova, the telltale signs of huge energies at work, "I don't understand..."

"He's right. They're much brighter than your average mega" AneiRenamon added as the trio reached their destination, standing just off from the battle in what would be considered ringside seats. Angewomon could feel the effort it was taking AneiRenamon to keep them from reappearing.

"Question is," Angemon asked, analysing the scene as best he could, "Why?"

Angewomon took a step closer, peering closely at one of the immobile figures, gazing into the bright core of light. She reached out tentatively with one hand, fingertips reaching for the boundary with the light. She didn't dare actually touch it, but once her fingers were mere centimetres away from contact she realised she didn't need to. She could feel the energy reaching out to her, feeling strangely invigorating and refreshing.

It reminded her of digivolution.

"I've felt this before." She allowed her hand to fall back to her side before turning to face the others, "When I digivolved with Jayne."

"You mean they're getting ready to Digivolve again?" Angemon frowned, "That's not possible."

Angewomon shook her head, "No, what I mean is this feels like the energy Jayne gave me, only much stronger." She turned back to face the glowing point of light, "It _feels_ like Jayne."

"So that means..." Angemon tried to process the information, "This other one..." he stepped closer to Alphamon's silhouette, "is Graeme?"

Angewomon nodded, sure that he was correct.

"But if that's true," Angemon's gaze moved over to the much more sinister form of Darkdramon, taking in the full detail despite the intense energy, "Then what does this mean?"

It was AneiRenamon who came in close, reaching out with her paw, actually reaching in far enough for the energy to wrap around her fingers, "Each of the bright lights is the result of a human-digimon partnership." She explained, turning her paw this way and that as the light swirled over and around her hand.

"So you're saying that..."

Withdrawing her hand fully, AneiRenamon turned to face the two bewildered angels, "Yes." She nodded, "Darkdramon is a biomerged mega."

Turning back once more she reached back into the light, "Darkdramon has a human soul."

* * *

Took a bit longer than I expected to get that one out. Mostly because I've been constantly rehashing it over and over. I hope that came off pretty well.

Next chapter isn't too far down the line.

Hope you enjoyed,

NKC


	26. Chapter XXVI

**Chapter XXVI**

"A human soul?" Angewomon questioned, completely bewildered, "How in the hell does a Digimon come to have a human soul?"

AneiRenamon, fingers still dancing through the intense aura of light, seemed lost in thought for a moment. Inhaling a deep breath, she seemed to shake her head as if trying to clear it of thought. As she did so, the eerie world around the fox and two angels seemed to waver, becoming reality once again for a fraction of a second.

When AneiRenamon's response did finally come, it was quiet and slightly strained, "I can't keep us here for much longer..."

Realising what was happening, Angewomon grabbed Angemon by the arm and pulled him closer to AneiRenamon, hoping that it would be easier for AneiRenamon to maintain the phase over a smaller area.

Sure enough, the fox's composure improved somewhat, a smile forming on her lips, "Thank you..."

"So..." Angemon began, "A human soul?"

AneiRenamon's gaze fell upon him, her eyes containing an acute intellectual air as she mulled over the possibilities. "One of two things," she said in even tones, "Either he's a biomerged Digimon... Or Darkdramon was actually human at some point."

"How do we tell which?" Angemon asked.

Angewomon took a moment to think, "More importantly, what do we do about it?"

"We..." AneiRenamon seemed to sway unsteadily for a moment, both Angemon and Angewomon reaching forwards to support her, "We have to help Alphamon and Upyrmon..."

"How?" Angemon questioned bluntly, "We're a rookie, a champion and an ultimate. He's a mega."

"You're also angels..."

* * *

Darkdramon gave Alphamon's sword – the blade with which Upyrmon had just attacked him – his complete and undivided attention. Beneath the stain of his own darkened blood there was a work of art, sculpted by a craftsman who had clearly been working on the weapon for a long time, casting it into perfection.

Had circumstances been different, he would have taken the time to fully admire the blade. As it was, he was in the middle of a fight – Alphamon held fast in his steely grip, and that wretched vampire Upyrmon behind him.

"You know..." his choking grip only tightened around Alphamon, bringing the sword around for the holy knight to see, "You're a very lucky person to have this weapon. Note the inscription down the length of the blade, from hilt to tip?"

Alphamon chose not to answer, simply looking at the weapon presented to him.

"Do you know what it says?" Darkdramon whispered, sharp metallic claws pressing into the armour across Alphamon's chest, forming deep indentations.

"It..." the knight began, "It says 'Honour be thy glory.'"

The Dark Lord patted Alphamon's chest approvingly, "Very good. And what does that mean to you?"

The silence flowing defiantly from Alphamon's lips was vicious displeasure to Darkdramon's ears, so he opted to press home his point with his claws, pressing firmly as the surgical blades sliced slowly through the knight's dense armour.

"What does it mean to you?" Darkdramon hissed.

Alphamon winced in pain, though he didn't allow it to overwhelm him, "It means be just."

"Exactly. Be just." Darkdramon balled his fist, scouring a deep gash into Alphamon's armour, slicing through the flesh beneath in order to torture, "Justice! Honour! Glory!"

For a moment Alphamon felt Darkdramon's grip slacken, granting momentary respite.

"And that, my friend," Darkdramon's triad continued, pulling the sword out to the side and aiming the tip towards Alphamon's back, "Means never stabbing your enemy in the back!"

Alphamon tensed, awaiting the inevitable.

* * *

The bitter revelation stabbed at Upyrmon's soul, Jayne and Millimon giving joint consensus from within. As Darkdramon raised the blade to finish off Alphamon she felt a reflexive need to attack.

The sensible, battle-experienced part of her told her that such an assault would be foolish – that a plan was needed to stop Darkdramon.

But another part of her, bold and unfaltering, knew that there wasn't time. That she had to act.

"_For the win?" _Jayne asked from somewhere deep within the mystical being.

"_For the win." _Millimon's unequivocal reply resounded with meaning.

Clenched fists erupted into a furious black flame, Upyrmon felt a cry of anger well up from the pit of her stomach, parting her lips with all the passion of a shrieking banshee – her verbal and physical target none other than the Dark Lord himself.

* * *

Darkdramon's certain grip upon the handle of the sword tightened instantly. Of course, he could hear every move Upyrmon was making – the familiar foolhardy efforts of an angered berserker doing little to conceal the fact.

And the effort it took him to spin around with Alphamon at the fulcrum was little to none – the blade aimed straight at Upyrmon's abdomen.

* * *

There was surprisingly little pain at first. Upyrmon saw Darkdramon turn; saw the blade fall; saw the horror in Alphamon's eyes as he was forced to watch. But it all happened too fast for her to even reconsider the attack, much less stop.

The full force of Upyrmon's momentum did all the work, several inches of sharpened, hardened steel entering her stomach just below her rib cage. Somewhere deep inside the vampiress Digimon Jayne hovered inside the light, the error realised instantly.

"Oh-"

A fractional moment later pain shot through her like electricity, the soothing light of her capsule engulfing her, the intense glow moving across her skin like wildfire. It was unlike anything she'd felt before, and she couldn't hold back the scream of agony that tried to erupt from her lungs.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware of Millimon's own distress – the Digimon was somehow managing to shield Jayne from some of the pain, trying to bear the brunt of it.

Jayne, wounded as she was and barely able to function, refused to let her partner take the full force. Some part of her still-functioning consciousness knew what had to be done. With all the strength she could muster, she withdrew herself from the form of Upyrmon.

A distant, vague awareness of the outside world let her know that she had returned to the real world. A little way over from her a small, black, injured feline lay unconscious. But her strength failed her, the darkness claiming her for the time being.

* * *

Alphamon was forced to bear witness to the whole thing; his own blade, wielded by the very being that held him powerless, forced straight into the stomach of the on-rushing Upyrmon.

There was the briefest of moments whereupon their eyes met, Alphamon's sorrow spilling forth in the form of sincere apology. He'd broken a long-standing promise to protect her – to keep her free from harm. That had been broken now, by his own blade no less, and the deep regret threatened to overpower him.

He could only watch as a bright light surrounded Upyrmon's form, splitting into two and taking the shape of Jayne and a small, darkly coloured feline form that at least one part of Alphamon's being had not seen in a long, long time.

Both lay unconscious.

"Well," Darkdramon's voice spoke with mirth, "That was easy enough. Fine blade you have here, Alphamon."

Somewhere deep within the grand knight, however, a feline soul was crying out in anguish.

"_I failed her..."_ Mikemon's voice whimpered quietly, hopelessly resigned to the fate of both his friends and himself.

Graeme, however, wasn't ready to give up just yet. _"Mikemon; it isn't over yet!"_

"_How can you say that?!" _the feline demanded, despair and anger very close to the surface as he spoke.

Graeme's reply was full of defiance and resolution, _"They're both still alive. And if we want to keep it that way we _have _to fight back! Now!"_

"_And just how are we supposed to do that?" _Mikemon honestly couldn't see the way forwards, _"We're trapped here; he has us."_

"_Can't you feel _that_?" _Graeme spoke forcefully, _"Behind us; behind Darkdramon; a presence."_

Mikemon absolved himself of all sorrow, barely daring to hope... And yet, he felt it, sure and certain, just as Graeme said; a presence of some description – familiar in many ways – and yet he couldn't quite put his paw on it. But a shared thought from Graeme shed a little light.

"_AneiRenamon..."_ she had to be out of phase because he couldn't hear or see her, _"But how? Why?"_

"_Probe a little deeper. See what you find."_ Graeme urged, knowing every moment counted.

After a moment of concentrative silence, Mikemon had an epiphany, _"The angels!"_

Graeme nodded, hoping Mikemon understood, _"And I think I know their plan..."_

* * *

"I can't hold us here for more than the next thirty seconds..." AneiRenamon warned, feeling both drained and lightheaded. Remaining in this realm was tiring enough when she was by herself – which was why she tended to not stay longer than a few minutes at a time – but keeping the data of the two angels out of phase with reality, along with her own, was taking a lot out of her.

"We know the plan, then?" Angewomon queried, hoping Angemon understood what he had to do.

Thankfully he nodded, "You push as much of your energy into Alphamon, which will hopefully give him enough strength to overpower Darkdramon. As you do that, I attack Darkdramon directly, hopefully distracting him long enough for Alphamon to attack."

AneiRenamon interrupted with a warning, her body visibly shaking, "Alphamon knows we're here; I'm losing my hold on the phase."

"Try to project your thoughts to him, Anei." Angewomon suggested, "Warn him. We're ready to go."

With a grim nod, AneiRenamon composed herself, "Here goes nothing..."

She let go of her grip in the natural energies, allowing reality to rush back over them all. She didn't see what came next, because she passed out, no more energy left to give.

* * *

Darkdramon laughed maniacally, watching with pleasure as Upyrmon fell. A bright light engulfed both the vampiress and the sword in his hand, fading eventually to reveal the frail human girl and a small feline that he hadn't laid eyes on in a fair few years. It was strange to see his formerly loyal servant reduced to the level of champion, but then she'd had it coming from the moment she betrayed him!

His other arm still held Alphamon firm and immobile.

"Well," Darkdramon turned his attention back to the holy knight, "I guess that takes care of them. Such a shame too, don't you think?"

"Don't think for a moment you'll get away with this." Alphamon hissed, though making no effort to escape anymore. Perhaps he had finally resolved himself to his fate?

The Dark Lord was about to retort when he felt a wave of energy wash over him. It felt almost like...

"Now!" Alphamon yelled at the top of his lungs.

Darkdramon didn't have time to react.

* * *

"Hand of Fate!"

The fisted ball of orange energy hit Darkdramon on the back of the head. Much to Angemon's disappointment, however, it did little more than bounce off the armour of his helmet. But then, it was never meant to do any damage; just to distract him.

And distract him it did.

Darkdramon turned his head, opening his mouth with a furious roar, the subsequent dark matter orb following his signature attack with much fervour. The awkward angle at which he'd had to fire it, coupled with the fact that Angemon was already moving, meant the aim was off by a substantial margin, not even getting close to hitting its intended target.

"Come on, Angewomon..." Angemon whispered, charging up another attack.

Sure enough, the female angel appeared behind the Dark Lord and his captive. Darkdramon had no idea she was there, but judging by the way in which Alphamon set himself against the reptilian mega's arm he knew that something was about to happen.

Angemon allowed the pent up energy in his fist to lash out at Darkdramon – his job well and truly done – and prepared to dodge whatever attack may come next.

As it turned out, Darkdramon didn't have the time to even consider an attack.

Angewomon, concentrating deeply, lashed out at both Alphamon and Darkdramon, her balled fists penetrating both of their protective armour, as if she were a spirit.

The flash of light was blinding; Angemon almost fell from the sky.

* * *

Steeling herself against the inevitable pain, Angewomon concentrated as best she could on the task at hand – acting as a conduit for the vast energies that were about to trade places.

With all the willpower she possessed, the angel pushed just enough of her own energy into Alphamon to get the reaction going. She felt the initial tingle passing through one arm, then the other as Darkdramon's power was drawn out to replace the potential lost to Alphamon.

But she didn't try to hold it back. Pushing as hard as she could into Alphamon, she felt herself explode with electrical current – and thought for a moment that her data may simply evaporate into nothingness.

* * *

Alphamon – Graeme and Mikemon – felt an initial pained energy which rapidly blossomed into the most extraordinary pleasure. The sense of strength which accompanied the sensation was invigorating beyond measure.

Somewhere inside, amongst the growing power, Graeme stood stoically, thinking to himself. Through the intense light he could see out into the real world. He saw only the form of Jayne, lying helpless. Everything else paled into nothingness.

"_Light up, light up; as if you have a choice..." _he whispered to nobody in particular.

"_Graeme?" _Mikemon's voice was gentle, a distinct air of concern held within. He could see Graeme's mind as if it were his own when they were like this. He could feel the bitter resolution as the pair of them looked on at Jayne and Millimon's champion form.

"_Mikemon?" _Graeme replied after a moment of hesitation,_ "Let's end this."_

Mikemon's concern faded. In its place; a knowing smirk and the determination of a renewed hope.

* * *

By the time Darkdramon realised what Angewomon was about to do there was nothing he could do to stop it. She had flung open the floodgates, and he felt his consciousness waver as she drew out his strength.

A plethora of unwelcome sensations wracked his body; he couldn't allow this to continue.

By sheer force of will he placed all of his strength and energy into the location of Angewomon's hand. And then he pushed.

* * *

A discomforting surge began to form in Angewomon's fingertips, and for a moment she wondered what was happening. But the penny dropped in a fraction of a moment, and she saw Darkdramon's plan. If he pulsed all of his power into her at the same time, it would stop her plans dead – not to mention tear her apart in an explosion of binary digits.

Stemming the flow of energies, she began to withdraw but a second later. She withdrew just as the surge erupted – but she wasn't quite far enough withdrawn to avoid what followed.

The vast energies still managed to touch her, and, whilst they would prove less than fatal, they electrified every muscle in her body. With a pained scream she was thrown backwards with unimaginable force, and she found herself flying uncontrollably though the air – unable to open her wings and right herself before impact.

But a pair of familiar arms wrapped themselves around her waist, and Angewomon felt her fall slow to more survivable levels, in the end touching down so gently that it may as well have been her own landing.

Her legs failed, and she found herself sitting on the floor, reclining against a very familiar warmth.

She looked up, knowing just who it was that would be looking back at her.

"Thank you, Angemon." She whispered, thoroughly exhausted.

Angemon smiled back at her, "My pleasure."

* * *

Darkdramon felt the force of the energy pulse as it flung his aggressor free, the vast majority of his remaining power having no means of escape and simply reflecting back into his being. It took him a moment to regain his composure, and even then he still felt weakened.

Now it was Alphamon's turn to fight.

The holy knight grasped Darkdramon's forearm tightly, catching the dragon by surprise and offering him no time to resist.

"Yargh!" the exertive bellow erupted into a determined roar as Alphamon pushed forwards with all his might. The added strength that Angewomon had offered him was just enough to turn the tables. A harsh jolt forwards was all that it took, and he pulled Darkdramon forwards over his head.

The Dark Lord landed with a loud thud, knocking the wind out of him, leaving him exposed and defenceless.

Alphamon towered over him menacingly, no expression needed in order to convey the anger that consumed him.

"_I see what you are, Darkdramon._" Graeme spoke from within.

Alphamon summoned up a beast from another dimension – one of his attacks taking its physical form – and directed it straight at Darkdramon. The monstrous creature, malevolent and resolute, found the Dark Lord the instant it was loosed upon him. With a glorious explosion of energy it passed straight into him. He felt something strange – something he hadn't felt inside for a long, long time. He could only look up at Alphamon in fear and revelation.

"I release you." Alphamon stood over the demon.

Darkdramon fell apart.

* * *

The end of chapter XXVI. And yet; still more to come.

Watch this space.

NKC


	27. Chapter Finale

**Chapter Finale**

Alphamon allowed himself a fleeting moment of rest, drawing in a breath slow and deep, letting a calm peace flush through his mind, body and soul. His energy spent, he knew that his time remaining in the form of a holy knight was just about over.

Indeed, no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the world around him seemed to change, wavering, becoming larger and better defined.

Only at that moment did Graeme realise that he was standing barefooted on the grass, wholly human once more. A quick thought of Mikemon caused him to look around, and he noticed that the feline was already making his way towards another cat-like Digimon lying close to Jayne. Graeme watched as his partner took a brief moment to check over the unmoving girl. Relief passed through him as Mikemon offered a thumbs up before moving on towards the other Digimon.

Graeme still felt the need to check on Jayne, but there was a more pressing issue at hand.

Turning around, he could see Darkdramon in an unfortunate heap on the ground, rasping breath showing that he was still alive.

With a gentle sigh, Graeme approached the disarmed creature, no need for caution crossing his mind.

The mega level dragon, almost completely paralysed, shot a glance up at Graeme as the human boy approached. There was an aura of trepidation to his expression, and Graeme tried to put his mind at ease by holding his hands out to the side to show he was unarmed.

"What have you done to me?" the once grand beast demanded, unsure and fearful, "I can't move."

Graeme didn't respond until he was right beside Darkdramon, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

"I know _what _you are, Darkdramon; what you let yourself become." Graeme's tone was unassuming; simply matter-of-fact, "I think it's time to end this."

Darkdramon simply watched the youth as he removed his Digivice from a pocket, grasping it firmly in his hand. With a gentle movement, Graeme pressed the device to Darkdramon's armour, the screen illuminating as they came into contact. There was a momentary beep, and then Darkdramon was engulfed in light.

The bright aura of light split into two small segments and a third larger one. It took mere moments for each portion to realise, taking a more solid form; one human; one Digimon; one D-Power.

Stepping forwards towards, Graeme bent over to pick up the errant black and silver Digivice, bringing it level with his own. It only took him a moment to link the two devices together, bringing them into sync so that he analyse the contents of the newly formed Digivice.

Just as he'd expected, he found a corrupted file, apparently the result of a viral assault. Scrolling through the option on his own D-Power he called up the purge function, executing without pause. It didn't take long, the D-Power chirping in confirmation of its task completed. As he watched the second Digivice the surround began to change, the dark black becoming a more pleasant buttercup yellow.

"Much better." He smiled.

Moving next over to the Digimon that had taken form – a Bommon, unless he was mistaken – he picked up the little fresh-level cherry bomb as it rested lightly, eyes closed, perhaps in dream.

The final stop was, of course, the human form; a teenage boy, perhaps no older than fourteen or fifteen, sobbing gently to himself. His eyes were closed, his hands resting on his head.

Graeme couldn't think of anything to say, but he approached anyway, moving out in front of the boy and crouching down. He placed the D-Power on the ground, though the boy didn't seem to notice.

Perhaps the answer lay in his hands?

A gentle whisper was all it took to stir the small Digimon, who blinked his way back to full consciousness, staring up at Graeme with surprise in his unusual eyes.

"W-what?" his high-pitched voice questioned, unsure at what was happening.

Graeme offered a warm, reassuring smile, "I think somebody needs you."

He placed the small Digimon on the ground, turning him to face the sobbing boy. The reaction was instantaneous; Bommon leaping closer with a cry, "Jimmy!"

The boy – apparently called Jimmy – snapped his head upright. The small fresh-level Digimon leapt straight into his arms, the boy holding him close to his chest in a hug, crying all the louder, anguished.

"Why so sad?" Bommon asked innocently, taking on a sad tone.

"I'm sorry..." the boy whispered as his tears fell to the grass, "I'm so very sorry..."

* * *

"So all this time he was a biomerged Digimon-human coupling?" Yolei quizzed Graeme, trying to wrap her mind around recent events. The entire troop – Digidestined, Digimon, Graeme, Jayne and partners, as well as the lone AneiRenamon – walked slowly back towards civilisation – or rather the rough approximation of it that was university.

"Yes." Graeme nodded, feeling Mikemon shift on his shoulder as he carried the champion level cat, granting him a well-earned break from exertion.

"Izzy would love to hear about this." Ken noted from the other side of the group, "Humans and Digimon Digivolving together... It's unheard of!"

"How's he taking all this?" Kari drew the subject back a little, thinking of Jimmy and his partner Digimon. That had been something of an unexpected twist, to say the least.

"Hard to say really..." Graeme admitted, the entire thought weighing down on him like a ten tonne weight. General Richards had been more than happy to take the boy back to the appropriate authorities when he and his troops had withdrawn; social services, rather than the police. Especially once Graeme had fully explained the situation, "It's amazing what damage a computer virus can cause."

"Oh, I don't know..." TK looked thoughtful for a moment or two, glancing up at Patamon as the little orange and cream rookie sat atop his head, "You'd be surprised." The pair shared a knowing grin.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Jayne chipped in brightly, "It'll just take time." She looked down at the still sleeping feline form in her hands. In spite of all they'd gone through Jayne was still having a little trouble wrapping her head around this digital monster business; though the little Sjenamon in her arms reassured her that it was all in fact real.

AneiRenamon, standing a little way back from the group – though still very much a part of it – thought for a moment, "I wonder if he has a family to get back to?"

"We can only hope." Mikemon offered, though not too certain himself.

Grass eventually gave way to the familiar concrete of the university campus, the whole place an eerie, surreal shade of amber as the early-morning twilight began to fill the sky. A breeze was just beginning to dance upon the fresh morning air, full of promise and expectancy.

They came to a stop besides one of the buildings, a blue and white sign labelling it the computer laboratory; a place with which Graeme was markedly familiar. The coded door was easy enough for him to open, having done so dozens if not hundreds of times before.

He held it open for the Digidestined, good manners showing as always.

"Well..." Jayne was the one who broke the easy silence, moving to stand beside Graeme, "I guess this is goodbye."

Even though she was talking to all of the Digidestined, she directed herself mostly towards Gatomon – the one who had gotten her mixed up in all this to begin with. Sitting happily in Kari's arms, still a little battle-worn and tired, Gatomon surrendered a friendly smile.

Graeme offered a nod of agreement towards Patamon, though it was TK who stepped forwards.

"It's been a pleasure." The blonde-haired teen offered his hand to Graeme, the pair exchanging a handshake of gratitude and respect.

"Maybe we'll get a chance to do it again some time?" Graeme was optimistic, if a little doubtful. But who really knew the future?

"Come on, guys!" Davis yelled, already half-way inside the building, "We're missing breakfast!"

There was a small chuckle from everybody. No further farewells were spoken aloud, though all were said. As the last of the Digidestined entered the lab Graeme let the door shut. The flash of a monitor screen and the buzz of electrical equipment was the only sign that anything was going on in the lab – the people at campus security would definitely have something interesting to watch when they got to see _that _particular CCTV tape.

Making sure the door was properly shut, Graeme turned to face the remainder of the group. For some reason or other AneiRenamon had remained.

"Not going with them?" Graeme asked gently.

The large black fox closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head, "I'm not from their world."

"Oh?" his curiosity piqued for a moment.

AneiRenamon smiled softly, "I've a home here to go to. It's been a while, but I hope they'll still have me." She didn't give away any more, simply leaving the question half answered.

In a strangely human gesture, the dark vixen offered a three-digit paw to him in a handshake. He accepted it, of course, if a little confused by the gesture. She repeated it with Jayne, though she kept her reasons for doing so a complete mystery.

There was a moment of silence, with the exception of the light morning breeze. AneiRenamon closed her eyes once more, taking a deep draw of the sweet air.

"Can you hear that?" she asked with a whisper, relishing the air.

"Hear what?" Jayne surrendered a puzzled look, glancing over to Graeme, who simply shrugged in response.

AneiRenamon, though, reopened her eyes – a smile of jubilant optimism curling her lips upwards, "Freedom."

And she vanished into thin air.

Graeme laughed, shaking his head. His own expression mirroring that of the departed rookie fox, "I don't think I'll _ever _understand her."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Mikemon chuckled, looking up at his human partner, "I don't think I ever will either."

Jayne, of course, rolled her eyes at the pair, tutting without refrain, "You're both hopeless."

Graeme nodded, grin not fading for an instant, "Too right." He clapped his hands deliberately, rubbing them together, "So; what now?"

There was a moment of pause between them all. Nobody broke that silence, the idle, waltzing morning breeze once again offering the only riposte. The sun, too long in coming, finally dared to peek over the distant horizon to the east, bathing the quartet in the bright promise of a new day.

"How about breakfast?" a fourth voice suggested, Sjenamon having awoken in Jayne's arms.

"Breakfast," Graeme moved in beside Jayne with a warm smile, slipping his arm around her waist as they started moving off towards the daylight, "Sounds perfect."

From the trees not too far off the shadowy form of AneiRenamon watched the Tamer-Digimon quartet go their own way. She couldn't help but smile; the day was theirs – all of them – and she couldn't help but feel that they'd cross paths again someday. Maybe not today; maybe not tomorrow. But sooner or later.

It was inevitable.

"Until next time." She smiled fondly.

And she leapt from the tree with barely restrained joy, into the air, illuminated briefly by the tender warmth of the rising sun. She let her shadow envelop her, leaving behind no evidence of her presence – only memories.

Memories, and the promise of the new day.


	28. Author's Notes

**Author's Notes**

Well, here we are; one year, three months and eleven days after I started this project and I've finally completed it.

When I took on this project, I was planning to create a story of some fifty thousand words at the most; to put an idea in writing which had been on my mind for quite some time. And now that it's finally complete it's more than twice as long, and much more than I ever expected it to be.

I would like to thank everybody who has read this for that. Without your encouragement a work of this magnitude would no doubt have been beyond me, and for that I am very much in your debt. Your comments and insights have helped to shape the characters and the storyline in ways I didn't quite expect to begin with. I hope that they've been as deep and meaningful for you as they have been to me.

Thank you for all your support. Thank you for the constructive criticism. Thank you for the inspiration.

But most of all, thank you for taking the time to read this.

I do hope to revisit this particular universe some day. It would be a shame to never revisit them. There are a few ideas there to be written, and I hope they will be realised some day. Back-stories and sequels. So much to explore.

But for now, I think it's time to let the pen rest, don't you?

See you around, and thanks again. For everything.

Regards,

NKC.


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